When do you say you have arrived as a leader? Never!

“5 Levels of Leadership” By John Maxwell Hachette Book Group, 2011

John Maxwell is a prolific writer and has authored 39 books – including this book being reviewed, “5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential.”

He has written all sorts of “laws” on leadership, qualities of a leader, 25 Ways to Win People, Becoming a Person of Influence, 17 Qualities of a Team Player, to name a few.

I have reviewed and kept many of these books – and their sheer number and diversity led me to wish: Could John Maxwell write a book that somehow distills all the breadth and depth of his thoughts on leadership, so that he can throw in all those insights learned and applied through his years as author and mentor?

Lo and behold! Mr. Maxwell has come out with this book on “5 Levels of Leadership,” using a numeric five as literary license. In my Journalism class, you spell out numbers one to nine; and then you use a numeric “10” when you reach that point counting and beyond.  Well, we will allow Mr. Maxwell to violate one sacred journalistic rule this time.

Look at how he divided the sections of the book – and carefully note the fine changes in verbs to get the meaning:

First level – Position: People follow you because they have to.

Second level – Permission: People follow you because they want to.

Third level – Production: People follow because of what you have done for the organization.

Fourth level – People Development: People follow because of what you have done for them.

Fifth level – Pinnacle: People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

Those five levels alone deliver key truths about the type of leader you are.

Position level. Maxwell says, leadership by virtue of being appointed to a “Position” is the only level that does not require ability and effort to achieve. This goes for the manager appointed in a company and even for a Cabinet member who is plucked from so many prospects by the President.

Maxwell is quick to add, “There’s nothing wrong with having a position of leadership. When a person receives a leadership position, it is usually because someone in authority saw talent and potential in that person.”

A position title of leadership, true, confers authority. It can serve as a platform from which an individual develops himself onto the higher levels of leadership. And to produce results. This should be the guiding principle of people appointed to high positions, including the members of the Aquino government.

Maxwell quotes T. S. Eliot to stress a point about position-fixated executives: “Half of the harm done in this world is due to people who want to feel important – they do not mean to do harm – they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.”

The author adds an insight: Those people who are “lonely at the top” must have been a leader placed their via position title, and nothing else.

To stress the point further, the author quoted Niccolo Machiavelli who said: “It is not the titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”

Permission Level. Leadership via permission is not unlike getting the consent of the governed. This is true for elected officials, from the President down. In a smaller organization, the leader with a position title goes a little further to win the “permission” of the people under him.

Permission leadership is based entirely on relationships, Maxwell points out. At this level, the leader opens up channels of communication. Top down relationship is replaced by side-by-side relationships.

Maxwell relates a story of a businessman, Peter, who visited Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, at the Presidential Palace. Peter was surprised that Mandela was already at the parking lot waiting for them. Mandela greeted Peter and his driver named Dumi. Later, Dumi retreated to the car, while Peter was motioned by Mandela to the breakfast table.

When they were seated, Mandela said: “I thought there were two of you.” Peter answered, “No, I came alone.” “What about the other gentleman?” insisted Mandela. Peter: “No, sir, that one is just a driver. He will wait at the car.”

To Peter’s surprise, Mandela rose from his seat, went to the car, and invited Driver Dumi to the breakfast table. Mandela announced to the househelp: “Dumi is joining us for breakfast. Can we have another plate please?” That was an unforgettable experience for both Boss and Driver, knowing Mandela up close, and charmed by the value he places on people, whatever their standing in life.

Surely, Mandela has influence. At this point, the author does not fail to stress a point: “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing else.”

Production level. The leader ascends to the Production level, and this is where “leadership really takes off,” according to Maxwell.

Leaders who get results, who produce -separate them from position occupiers. You know, leaders who just warm their seats and contribute nothing to the organization’s goals.

If a leader produces great results, he attracts other highly productive teams.  This kind of leadership confers on the leader a winning reputation. After all, nothing attracts more leaders than a winner.

Maxwell punctuates his prose with another quote, this time from Peter Drucker: “There are two types of people in the business community: Those who produce results and those who give you reasons why they didn’t.”  The latter category is overpopulated, if I may say so.

The results-producing leader is highly credible. Why? He leads by “example,” says the author. “He sets the standards visually,” he points out.  He means, results are there for everyone to see, feel and experience.

People development level. Maxwell asks: “What’s better than excellence at your work and high productivity from your team? His answer: “Developing people so that they can lead with you.”

A productive leader is not enough. A reproducing leader is needed, per Maxwell, using the concepts he introduced in his earlier books. “Companies get better when their people get better. That’s why investing in people always gives a greater return to an organization,” Maxwell points out, underscoring the need for sustained mentoring for leaders.

After all, “how do you grow a company?” His answer is quick: “By growing the people in it.”

Some leaders hoard their leadership tasks for themselves, with a sense of insecurity that they would lose control. Maxwell disagrees: “If you share leadership with others, it isn’t actually taken away from you. Instead, it gives you back time … and you are freed up to do something more important: Thinking, envisioning and strategizing.”

He quotes fellow leadership mentor Tom Peters: “There’s nothing more useless than the person who says at the end of the day, ‘Well, I made it through the day without screwing up.’”

Pinnacle level. Maxwell reserves his best prose to the leader who reaches his “pinnacle.” He prefaces his treatise with these memorable thoughts:

“It takes a leader to KNOW a leader (recruiting and positioning). It takes a leader to SHOW a leader (modeling and equipping). It takes a leader to GROW a leader (developing, empowering and measuring).

Maxwell describes such a leader: “Pinnacle leaders are a cut above the rest. People follow them because of what they are and what they represent. These leaders create a legacy in the organization. They provide an extended platform for leading.”

People hear them out and seek them for advice. Their influence is awesome. Use pinnacle as a platform to do something greater than yourself.

Some leaders lament the fact that there is very little time to reach their pinnacle in leadership. Someone asked Billy Graham the most surprising thing about life. The world-renowned evangelist answered: “The brevity of it.”

So that we won’t regret having very little time at the twilight of our life: Maxwell advises: Create a lasting legacy – and decide what that legacy is.

Maxwell outdoes himself. This book is not a digest of all of Maxwell’s earlier books. He outdoes himself by focusing on the five levels – and this focus has become a veritable magnet that has drawn to the discussion all the nuggets of wisdom that have been “mined” from his treasure chest of gems.

This book proves the truism that “the sum is bigger than all its parts” – meaning, you get a taste of every Maxwellian wisdom and insight – and yet bring home a whole new angle, an entirely new lens by which you consider and contemplate that ever-interesting – and even magical topic – called leadership.

It can be said that Maxwell has also arrived at his “crucible moment” with this book. He defines “crucible moment” as a “breakthrough in one’s life.” This is Maxwell at his best and with his finest ideas in 289 pages! All of a sudden, everything he said in earlier books have been distilled to fit into one “leadership bible.” ([email protected])