Free The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential by John C. Maxwell Page B
Authors: John C. Maxwell
answers, but do enlist and empower people who will find the answers needed. Begin taking this approach immediately. For the next month, when someone asks for an answer that you don’t know, admit it. Then ask for the opinions of the people on your team. If they don’t have the answers to questions, ask them if they know people who do. Make problem solving collaborative.
Find a Leadership Coach: Most people find it very difficult to grow in leadership without the help of someone who’s ahead of them in the journey. Think about the best leaders you know personally, and ask one of them to coach or mentor you. Ask ifyou can meet with the person four to twelve times a year. Always prepare diligently before you meet by planning what questions you will ask and what problems you will ask for advice in solving. If you aren’t prepared or don’t have questions, don’t ask for a meeting. Don’t ever waste your mentor’s time.
Level 2: PERMISSION
You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
M aking the shift from Position to Permission brings a person’s first real step into leadership. Why do I say that? Because leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Leaders who rely on their positions to move people rarely develop influence with them. If their subordinates do what they are asked, it’s usually because they think they
have
to—to receive their pay, keep their jobs, prevent being reprimanded, and so on.
People go along with leaders they get along with.
In contrast, when a leader learns to function on the Permission level, everything changes. People do more than merely comply with orders. They actually start to follow. And they do so because they really
want
to. Why? Because the leader begins to influence people with
relationship
, not just position. Building relationships develops a foundation for effectively leading others. It also starts to break down organizational silos as people connect across the lines between their job descriptions or departments. The more barriers come down and relationships deepen, the broader the foundation for leading others becomes. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. And that can change the entire working environment. The old saying is really true: people go along with leaders they get along with.
Relationships are a major key to success, whether you’re trying to sell, coach, teach, lead, or simply navigate the daily tasks of life. In the context of sales, Jeffrey Gitomer, author of
The Sales Bible
and
Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling
, uses the analogy of the rock-paper-scissors game to describe the importance of relationships.
Here’s the rock, paper, scissors game of selling:
Relationship is more powerful than price.
Relationship is more powerful than delivery.
Relationship is more powerful than quality.
Relationship is more powerful than service.
That can also be said about leading. Relationships have great power.
Moving up to Level 2 is an important development in leadership because that is where followers give their supervisors
permission
to lead them. People change from being subordinates to followers for the first time, and that means there is movement! Remember, leadership always means that people are going somewhere. They aren’t static. No journey, no leadership.
The Upside of Permission
The Workplace Has Become More Pleasant for Everyone
T here are many upsides to Level 2 because the focus on relationship building opens up so many new avenues of leadership. Here are my top five:
1. Leadership Permission Makes Work More Enjoyable
Positional leaders often focus their efforts on serving themselves or their organization, with too little regard for others. However, leaders who move up to Level 2 shift their focus from
me
to
we
. They like people and treat them like individuals. They develop relationships and win people over with interaction instead
Find a Leadership Coach: Most people find it very difficult to grow in leadership without the help of someone who’s ahead of them in the journey. Think about the best leaders you know personally, and ask one of them to coach or mentor you. Ask ifyou can meet with the person four to twelve times a year. Always prepare diligently before you meet by planning what questions you will ask and what problems you will ask for advice in solving. If you aren’t prepared or don’t have questions, don’t ask for a meeting. Don’t ever waste your mentor’s time.
Level 2: PERMISSION
You Can’t Lead People Until You Like People
M aking the shift from Position to Permission brings a person’s first real step into leadership. Why do I say that? Because leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Leaders who rely on their positions to move people rarely develop influence with them. If their subordinates do what they are asked, it’s usually because they think they
have
to—to receive their pay, keep their jobs, prevent being reprimanded, and so on.
People go along with leaders they get along with.
In contrast, when a leader learns to function on the Permission level, everything changes. People do more than merely comply with orders. They actually start to follow. And they do so because they really
want
to. Why? Because the leader begins to influence people with
relationship
, not just position. Building relationships develops a foundation for effectively leading others. It also starts to break down organizational silos as people connect across the lines between their job descriptions or departments. The more barriers come down and relationships deepen, the broader the foundation for leading others becomes. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. And that can change the entire working environment. The old saying is really true: people go along with leaders they get along with.
Relationships are a major key to success, whether you’re trying to sell, coach, teach, lead, or simply navigate the daily tasks of life. In the context of sales, Jeffrey Gitomer, author of
The Sales Bible
and
Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling
, uses the analogy of the rock-paper-scissors game to describe the importance of relationships.
Here’s the rock, paper, scissors game of selling:
Relationship is more powerful than price.
Relationship is more powerful than delivery.
Relationship is more powerful than quality.
Relationship is more powerful than service.
That can also be said about leading. Relationships have great power.
Moving up to Level 2 is an important development in leadership because that is where followers give their supervisors
permission
to lead them. People change from being subordinates to followers for the first time, and that means there is movement! Remember, leadership always means that people are going somewhere. They aren’t static. No journey, no leadership.
The Upside of Permission
The Workplace Has Become More Pleasant for Everyone
T here are many upsides to Level 2 because the focus on relationship building opens up so many new avenues of leadership. Here are my top five:
1. Leadership Permission Makes Work More Enjoyable
Positional leaders often focus their efforts on serving themselves or their organization, with too little regard for others. However, leaders who move up to Level 2 shift their focus from
me
to
we
. They like people and treat them like individuals. They develop relationships and win people over with interaction instead
Similar Books
After
Marita Golden
The Star King
Susan Grant
ISOF
Pete Townsend
Rockalicious
Alexandra V
Tropic of Capricorn
Henry Miller
The Whiskey Tide
M. Ruth Myers
Things We Never Say
Sheila O'Flanagan
Just One Spark
Jenna Bayley-Burke
Island of Silence (Unwanteds)
Lisa McMann
The Venice Code
J Robert Kennedy