Unit 7: Leadership

So much has been written about leadership and yet there is still so much to discover. This is why in this Microlesson, what I would like to do is offer a very personal view from my years of experience trying to give as many examples and quotes as possible. Some initial clarifications:

1. Leadership is not only about business. It’s about the inner nature of a human being across multiple social, individual, and professional environments that make us who we are.

2. Leaders develop from hard work, practice, and the willingness to make a good contribution. Some people are born with a more genuine predisposition, but I truly believe that what you do in life is way more important than what you are gifted with.

3. Leaders are the light of our destiny, not because they are great, but because they make others great from what they do or have done. I believe we should all make a bigger effort to develop the personal leader within each of us.

4. There are multiple leadership styles. Not all leaders are the classical charismatic stereotype we have been told. In fact, some of the greatest leaders of all time were unknown and still made great things for all of us. These are known as level 5 leaders, according to Professor Jim Collins. They are humble, uncharismatic, and resilient. They are very rare to find. Most of the great leaders that come to our minds are Level 4 leaders: effective, but still too focused on themselves.

Examples of level 5 leaders who made a great impact: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi.

Examples of Level 4 leaders who made a great impact: Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates.

1. Generous: At the end of the day, leaders do what must be done, but it’s been said that the most appreciated quality of a leader is his or her generosity. Generous attitudes will generate the most loyal and appreciative feelings from others. There is no possibility for a level 5 leader to not be generous. Think about Steve Jobs and everything we know about him. He was not a level 5 leader.

2. Teachers: At the end of the day, true leaders teach others. They are great teachers that awake curiosity, ambition, and best potential in others. They do their best to empower people around them. All great leaders that I’ve had the fortune to interact with, ended up teaching me in many ways. 

3. Focus on what will come from them beyond what they do on a daily basis: They clearly understand that the game is not about them. It’s about what they help others to do and achieve long after they are gone. Good charismatic leaders will manage a company very well when they are in it, but since everything is about them, this company might fall once they are gone. Level 5 leaders will dedicate their energy to not be needed and to make that company become greater than them, including hiring people smarter than them, teaching them and preparing all necessary conditions that will take that organization to achieve great things with or without them around. Does Walt Disney ring a bell? 

4. They listen and understand first: The idea is very simple and yet so few practise it properly. It’s not a matter of simply hearing but trying to understand what others say and mean. Only this way can a true leader act accordingly. To say that a person feels listened to means a lot more than just the understanding of their ideas. It’s a sign of respect that makes people feel valued.

5. They are resilient: Possibly still one of the greatest underestimated human qualities is resilience while most of the top level 5 leaders have proven it’s essential to them. Psychological resilience is the ability to mentally or emotionally cope with a crisis or any major unexpected change and adapt to it quickly to overcome it. It’s about flexibility, patience, remaining calm and knowing when and how to act. 

Or as Bruce Lee would say, “Be water my friend”:

What other qualities do you believe a Level 5 leader should have?

Grammar – To Do vs. To Make

Related Course Units  

Unit 116 – To Do vs. To Make  

---

Full Business Course

Start  

---