The Seven Levels of Leadership is a concept coined by author and speaker John C. Maxwell in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It consists of a hierarchy of seven distinct levels of leadership, each of which is progressively more effective than the last.
The seven levels are:
1. Position: This is the most basic level of leadership, where leaders are given their position of power by their organization or by appointment. Position leaders rely heavily on the authority of their position to lead people and often lack the ability to inspire and motivate their teams.
2. Permission: Leaders at this level take the initiative to ask their followers for permission before leading them. Leaders gain respect and trust by being personally involved and by building relationship connections with their team.
3. Production: This is the level where leaders begin to add tangible results to their team’s performance. Leaders at this level focus on getting things done and making sure their team meets their goals.
4. People Development: Leaders at this level take the time to focus on developing the individual skills of their team members and to give them the support and encouragement they need to succeed.
5. Pinnacle: Leaders at this level possess an understanding that it is more important to lead people than to manage projects. They focus on improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of their team and inspire people to higher performance.
6. Personality: Leaders at this level have a strong personal presence and charisma which people are drawn to. They have a unique ability to attract people to them, and their leadership style encourages loyalty and motivation.
7. Plateau: Leaders at this level have achieved something close to the pinnacle of their leadership potential. They are experienced and respected, and have developed a long-term strategic vision that yields tangible results.
They have placed themselves and their teams in a position of strength and sustainability.
What are the 7 leadership styles and meaning?
The seven leadership styles are autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, transactional, transformational, situational, and servant.
Autocratic leadership involves making decisions without involving subordinates and enforcing those decisions through coercive power. This style is often characterized by a top-down, hierarchical structure and a leader who is both demanding and directive.
Democratic leadership emphasizes delegation of authority and communication with subordinates. Leaders create an environment that encourages open discussion and input from team members and values their opinions in formulating solutions.
Laissez-faire leadership is a hands-off approach where the leader provides little direction or assistance. Instead, they rely on the expertise, experience, and judgment of their team members to do the work.
Transactional leadership is a style that focuses on the reward-and-punishment dynamic. Leaders set clear, consistent standards and use an incentive system to motivate and reward performance.
Transformational leadership encourages individuals to use their own ideas and creativity to problem-solve and find innovative solutions. It involves motivating people through meaningful work and fostering an environment of mutual trust and respect.
Situational leadership involves adapting to the unique needs of the situation and the individual in order to achieve the desired outcome. Leaders identify the most effective approach based on the context and the individuals involved.
Servant leadership is centered on the idea of enabling followers to achieve their goals by meeting their needs and giving them the resources and support they need to perform. This style of leadership focuses on developing trust and relationships with team members in order to maximize productivity.
What leadership style is most effective?
The most effective leadership style would depend on the team or organization being led, and the individual leading the group or organization. Some of the most commonly used and most effective leadership styles include transformational leadership, servant leadership, transactional leadership, and autocratic leadership.
Transformational leadership focuses on helping the team members find their higher purpose and strive for excellence. It is about helping lead the team to better performance and encourages the team to think independently and take initiative.
Servant leadership is a style of leadership which puts the best interests of the team or organization first and helps to build the team’s capacity to be successful. This style of leadership focuses on empowering and enabling the team to reach their goals.
Transactional leadership is focused on setting clear expectations and ensuring those expectations are met. It is about providing a system of rewards and punishments for the team in order to motivate them to achieve the desired results.
Autocratic leadership is about having a central figure who makes the majority of the decisions and leads the team. This style of leadership is more authoritarian and it relies on the leader being able to make decisions quickly and accurately.
Each of these leadership styles can be very effective in the right situation, and as such, there is no single “right” or “wrong” type of leadership style. The best approach to leadership is to be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each style and be able to choose and apply the right style at the right time.
What makes a good leader?
Good leadership involves a variety of attributes and qualities that are essential for success. A good leader needs to have a strong sense of purpose, be able to motivate and inspire others, possess good communication and interpersonal skills, have the ability to delegate tasks, be confident and have integrity.
A good leader should have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish and be able to articulate it. They should possess a commitment to the cause they are leading and they should be passionate and confident in their approach.
Communication and interpersonal skills are also vital for a good leader in order to understand the people they are leading, to effectively communicate tasks, and to be able to resolve conflicts.
Good leaders should also be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the people they are leading and be able to delegate tasks accordingly. It is important for a leader to be able to assess the skill level of their team, and assign tasks accordingly.
Last, but certainly not least, a good leader must have integrity and be able to lead by example. They should be honest and trustworthy and demonstrate the same behaviors that they expect from the people they are leading.
A leader who shows a lack of integrity or who is unaware or unconcerned with his/her actions will likely not be successful.
In summary, good leadership involves an array of qualities and attributes, such as strong purpose, good communication skills, the ability to delegate tasks, and possession of integrity. A good leader should also have a clear vision of the desired outcome and be able to articulate it, possess commitment and passion for the cause, and be able to lead by example.
All these qualities and more are essential in order for a leader to be successful.
What are the six major leadership styles and what are their characteristics?
The six major leadership styles are Authoritative, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding.
Authoritative Leadership: The Authoritative leadership style focuses on setting visions and inspiring followers through guidance. An authoritative leader is confident and will push their team to excel, while taking full ownership of the efforts.
This style is great for introducing and implementing change into an organization.
Coaching Leadership: The Coaching leadership style is all about developing an individual’s knowledge, skills and potential. A coach focuses on connecting with the individual and builds a trust relationship in order to better guide the person.
Coaching can be used to educate on organizational goal, help employees increase their performance, or encourage employees to realize their professional goals.
Affiliative Leadership: This leadership style is all about building relationships and creating harmony among team members. An affiliative leader does so by inspiring loyalty among their followers and creating an environment of trust and respect.
They prioritize the emotional wellbeing of their employees and celebrate successes.
Democratic Leadership: The Democratic leadership style is all about involving all team members in the decision making process. This is great for every team member to brainstorm ideas, collaborate and have their opinions heard.
Democratic leaders foster a culture of participation and facilitates cooperation.
Pacesetting Leadership: Pacesetting leadership is about providing an example and setting high expectations. A pacesetting leader will strive for perfection and will set a pace and expectations for the team members.
They promote a highly-effective and high-achieving environment and expect their employees to reach those expectations.
Commanding Leadership: Commanding leadership is all about being task-oriented and getting things done. This specific leadership style focuses on getting the task done in the quickest and most efficient way possible.
A commanding leader is usually focused on the details of the task, and does not allow for any side activities or distractions.