Exploring leadership levels: The critical transition to Production Leadership

It is likely that there are people in positions of authority because someone saw potential in them, or they knew people of influence, or because of longevity or seniority within an organization, or because the pool of options was limited, and the organization was desperate. The point is, not everyone who is appointed or promoted into a leadership position is appointed or promoted based of their track record as a leader.

However, for those who pursue personal growth, moving through the different leadership levels is quite rewarding for themselves, their followers, and the organizations.

In his book ‘The 5 Levels of Leadership’ John C. Maxwell said that there are five levels of leadership which he describes as Level 1 – Position, Level 2 – Permission, Level 3 – Production, Level 4 – People Development and Level 5 – Pinnacle. Today we take a closer look at leaders at the Production level.

According to John Maxwell, the five levels are like a building, the lower levels are the foundation which the higher levels rest on. Every leader must master the level he’s at to move to the higher level. Some leaders remain at the Positional Level throughout their career because the growth necessary to move to the other Levels never took place.

The Production Level is more about actions. It’s where we taste the pudding. It’s where change and transformation start taking place and the leader is considered a change agent. There are many leaders who enter a position of authority and attempt to start at the Production Leadership level. Understandably, there is a lot riding on their appointment. However, unless a leader has earned the trust of his followers and built relationships with them, he will not be successful at the production leadership level.

John Maxwell said “The production level is where leadership really takes off and goes in another level. Production qualifies and separates true leaders from people who merely occupy leadership positions. Good leaders always make things happen. They get results. They can make a significant impact on an organization. Not only are they productive individually, but they are also able to help the team produce. This ability gives Level 3 leaders confidence, credibility, and increased influence.”

“Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM noted, “The outstanding leaders of every age are those who set up their own quotas and constantly exceed them.” Maxwell said this is a good description of level 3 leaders. They are self-motivated and productive. As a result, they create momentum and develop an environment of success, which makes the team better and stronger.

According to Maxwell, Level 3 leaders understand how their personal gifts and abilities contribute to the organizational vision. They cast vision for what needs to be accomplished by helping people define success, commit to the vision, and help them experience success. They develop people into a high-productivity team by choosing complementary people, providing feedback and fostering a positive environment. They prioritize the resources that yield high returns while eliminating the unnecessary stuff using the 80/20 Rule. They ensure that their main goal is attaining results regardless of the issues and obstacles.

As we conclude this week’s article, I want to look at a man who was undoubtedly a leader in the motor world. There are leaders and then there are great leaders. Henry Ford is known for his unwavering persistence that has resulted in his many successes. However, according to John Maxwell “Ford was the opposite of an empowering leader. He undermined, micromanaged and looked over the shoulders of his top people. Engineers, fabricators, designers left The Ford Motor Company because they were not empowered or trusted to contrive ideas that might improve the company.

When Henry Ford II took over the company, he brought a much different leadership style. He believed in the power of the team to not only get the job done but to come up with innovative methods of pushing their product forward. He hired the best team members he could, with the skill set necessary to do the job and trusted them do to their job and more! Henry Ford II believed in the law of empowerment.”

“Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.”; A leader is best when people barely know he exists.

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