Leadership 101: The 5 Levels of Leadership Every Great Leader Should Know

David Kehinde Amoo
3 min readMay 1, 2024

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Do you want to be a leader people must follow, or one they truly respect and admire?

John C. Maxwell, a leadership expert, offers a roadmap to becoming a more influential leader in his insightful book, “The 5 Levels of Leadership.” In this blog post, we’ll break down these 5 levels, taking you from the basic “positional” leader to the inspiring “pinnacle” leader.

Get ready to ditch the boss-by-title mentality and discover how to build genuine connections, achieve impressive results, and ultimately inspire those around you. Let’s embark on this leadership journey together and see how high you can climb!

John C. Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership

Level 1: Position — People Follow Because They Have To

At this first level, your leadership is solely based on your title or position. Here, because you are the boss, you have the authority and give the order, so people follow you because they have to, not necessarily because they want to. You might still need to earn their respect or trust. You don’t want to stay at this first level as a leader.

Level 2: Permission — People Follow Because They Want To

This type of leadership is all about relationships. Here, people follow you because they like you and feel comfortable around you because you intentionally build connections and rapport with them. It is easier to gain their respect, influence, and lead them.

Level 3: Production — People Follow Because of What You’ve Done

This is result-based leadership. It is more about what you are bringing to the table. You’ve accomplished tasks, completed projects, and played a key role in the team’s victories. Your expertise is valued, and people trust and follow you because you consistently deliver results.

Level 4: People Development — People Follow Because of What You’ve Done for Them

Here, you are not selfish and concerned only about your life and success. You are investing and developing others. You are coaching, mentoring, guiding, and empowering people to reach their full potential. They trust and follow you because they completely believe in you and you believe in the as well.

Level 5: Pinnacle — People Follow Because of Who You Are

According to John C. Maxwell, this is the highest level of leadership and every leader should strive to attain this level. Here, people do not only follow for what you have done, but also for who you are and what you represent as a person. Your character, values, integrity, and personality inspires others and you’ve earned their deep trust and loyalty. You are not just a leader, but leaders of leaders.

Conclusion

John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership provide a clear path for anyone who wants to become a more impactful leader. Remember, leadership isn’t about a title or a corner office; it’s about the influence you have on others. So, what level are you currently? Meanwhile, leadership is a skill that can be developed. When you focus on building relationships, achieving results, and investing in your team, you can climb the leadership ladder and leave a lasting positive impact.

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David Kehinde Amoo
David Kehinde Amoo

Written by David Kehinde Amoo

Email Copywriter & Marketer | SEO Content Writer

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