Level 5 Leaders

In 1996, Jim Collins and his research team set out to answer one simple question: “Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?” We will cover more on this in the book review below. However, an unexpected finding of the extensive research was that all the companies who transitioned from 'good' to 'great' had Level 5 leaders at the helm.

Collins defines a Level 5 Leader as a leader who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will:

“Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious - but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.”

In contrast to the 'big personality, larger-than-life' leaders we may be tempted to think of when talking about what’s needed to transform companies, Level 5 leaders tended to be quiet, reserved, modest, understated and self-effacing. However, despite the quiet exterior they had a stoic determination to do what must be done to build an enduring company. They were conscientious team workers who inspired people with their high standards, developed successors and credited other team members for results. Collins found that, in contrast to the more dominant, celebrity-style leaders, for whom company success was more about growing their own riches and personal renown, Level 5 leaders were comfortable with the idea that most people would never even know that the roots of a company’s success was as a result of their efforts.

Although the concept of Level 5 Leadership has been around for well over 2 decades, more recent writings and research continue to emphasise the importance of Level 5 Leader traits. It seems that what people want from their leaders are character-based qualities including the ability to listen well, the willingness to give credit where it is due, the ability to adapt to their team, infectious passion and unimpeachable integrity.

Here at Moringa we emphasise the importance of leading ourselves well so we can be leaders who demonstrate excellent character. This in turn will inspire our team members to stick with us over the long haul and do their best work, which in turn will have a positive impact on the success of the organisation.