Last week I wrote about Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) and Level 5 Leadership.

Level 5 Leadership = Humility + Indomitable Will

  • Humility is putting yourself into service for something bigger than yourself, and asking ‘what is needed from me?’.
  • Indomitable will is pursuing that service with ongoing conviction, despite setbacks or pressures.

Collins also stated his view that any person can be a ‘Level 5’ (or L5) leader, regardless of their role.

So, what does this look like?
And how can you start to shape your own behaviour to be L5?

Here are some key points:

  • Leadership has nothing to do with rank, power, or the size of your team
  • L5 leaders experience self-doubt like anyone else; however, they see what needs to be done, they step up (regardless of the obstacles), and they inspire others to step up
  • They pay attention to what’s in front of them and do that to the best of their ability
  • They are quick to accept accountability for their mistakes, and they are supportive and acknowledging of the efforts of those who work with them

Develop your L5 capabilities…

Collins suggests that those wanting to develop into an L5 leader would do well to focus on two key things:

  1. Take care of your people – your team or those with whom you work – ahead of your career, and
  2. Make each of your key accountabilities your ‘pocket of genius’ – pay attention to what’s in front of you and do that to your best ability.

Optimise your ‘return on luck’…

There are many L5 leaders out there, but they often fly under the radar due to their humility.  Collins says that these leaders often emerge after a ‘luck’ event, which he describes as:
    1. a surprise
    2. something you didn’t cause, and
    3. there are consequences, either good or bad.

These (previously unknown) leaders surprise you on the upside with how they have stepped up to what was needing to be done.  This is a ‘return on luck’.

If you are a decision-maker in the organisation, then Collins suggests you can optimise your return on luck by making those people a bigger part of your company’s leadership today.

You can find further information on Level 5 Leadership here, in a Harvard Business Review article by Jim Collins.

Next week, I’ll share 5 practical ways to balance humility and confidence.