Transcript for:
Understanding Leadership Levels and Impact

at level number one people follow you because they have to at level number two people follow you because they want to I can always tell in a company when people are at level number one with their with their overseers versus if their level number two and I mean let me tell you the difference at level number one if you're leading people on level number one the question people ask all the time while they're following you is how little do I have to do and not be fired they're looking for the least that they have to do at level number one I can always tell because if I'm at a company where their leaders are not very good leaders in their own level number one and if the quitting time is at five o'clock you go through the offices of level number one leaders and you go through the you know what the desk is cleared at 4:45 yeah in fact at 4:45 all workers done it's all put away and all the people that work there had their tennis shoes on and they're in a three-point stance and there what's in that clock and at five o'clock they're gone at 5:01 every car is out of the parking lot because at level number one people only follow you because they have to at level number two what happens now they like you they want to follow you you have a relationship with them this is where synergy begins to build at level number two people will give you extra time at five o'clock if you're in the middle of a project they're still working on the project because they like you they like being with you you're doing this thing together and away you go so at level number two it's a wonderful level to be on because you like the people the people like you and the relationship now has begun to build I I sometimes call this the second mile level this is extra extra effort is it level number two minimal effort is it level number one but there's a higher level than level number two the third level of leadership is the production level the production level at level number three the key word is results at level number three people follow you because of what you have done for the organization at level number at level number three now people follow you because they look at you and they see that you've done some wonderful things for the company in fact they'll look at you they'll say oh my goodness you know since they joined the company the company has doubled its profits the company has increased its client base and and when they when you're at level number three they talk of you in terms of great endearment because because they not only like you because your own level number two with them but on level number three now they say this person's done a lot for the organization so they follow you because of what you have produced it's a wonderful level to be on by the way when you're on level number three you're still on level number two and you're still on level one you're building a foundation now under your leadership so when you get to level number three you don't leave level two in other words you don't get to level number three and say boy am I glad that I'm off of level number two I don't have to like people anymore this is gonna be so good I was so tired of being nice to people you don't leave the level you build on the levels so when you're on level number three you've got level three two and one underneath you now you're building a foundation under your leadership now it's at level number three where people follow you because of what you have done for the organization it's level number three that momentum kicks in it's at level number three that all of a sudden your company your department is is absolutely you've got what I call the Big Mo you've got the Big Mo going for you you've got momentum going for you and it's a wonderful level to be on because let me taste the best friend of a leader is momentum because when you have momentum as a leader everything is exaggerated in a positive way but when you have got momentum as a leader everybody talks about you about how good it's going and how good you are can I tell you so that when you've got the Big Mo going for you people think you are better than you really are and that's a good thing let's say Wow awesome leader of mine just incredible leader well you're not that good but you have momentum going for you you see when momentum is against you when it's negative can I tell you something you're worse than people think you are so momentum exaggerates you either to better or to worse it exaggerated you positively or exaggerate negatively and let me tell you something about momentum momentum is the greatest problem solver in your company if you really want to solve problems get momentum momentum will solve many more problems than anything else in the organization because momentum is a problem solver let me explain a train going 55 miles an hour down a track that train going 55 miles an hour down a track can smash through a five-foot thick concrete steel reinforced wall and just keep on going because it has momentum it hits that wall smashes it and just keeps going the engineer looks as but he said did we hit something back there well what allowed it to get through the wall it was momentum that allowed that same train without momentum stopped dead on its tracks if you put a one-inch block in front of its driving will that same train can't even get started think about it with momentum a five foot thick concrete steel reinforced wall can be broken without momentum that train can't even get started with a one inch problem so when people come to me and they'll say the problem in organization is we got these problems we've got all these problems and and because of all these problems we're just not having a very good year and I just want you to know that problems are overrated and momentum is underrated on level number three if you didn't get to level number three you're going to be able to knock down most of the problems in your life in fact I tell people all the time their problem is not the problem the problem is they don't know the problems not the problem and so the problem that is not the problem becomes a problem not because it is a problem but the problem is they didn't know it wasn't a problem so now the problem that wasn't a problem has become a problem and now they have a problem that they didn't have if they would have known that the problem wasn't the problem because the problem was they didn't know the problem wasn't the problem that now the problem wasn't a problem has become the problem and now they have a real problem because the problem was they didn't know the problem wasn't a problem some melancholy is raising her hand excuse me Sydney could you repeat that one more time by the way by the way managers try to solve problems leaders try to create momentum what leaders know is if you can create momentum in your organization 90% of the problems that will ever pop up will be solved not because you're a great problem solver not because your saw smart the grit most of the products will be solved because you have momentum momentum solves problems and managers are always trying to fix problems and leaders are trying to create momentum they realize that 90% of the problems you have can be fixed if you can just get on level 3 level 3 is a wonderful level to be on it's a wonderful level to lead people on because if you're on this level and you're leading them on this level it becomes absolutely amazing what you can accomplish but there's a higher level in fact all of my books that I write all of my lectures that I give and teaching I do because my goal is to get to people the level number for nine other I know there are five levels but all I've got to do is get you to level four if you can get to level four on your own the people that work with you will put you on level five so you don't need to worry about level five you don't need to worry about that for several reasons one is you're not there so don't worry about it okay okay my name is John I'm your friend okay okay level number four level number four is what I call the personhood level nobody said no no no isn't that that's level five I'm a leader but I have no clue okay I'm sorry excuse I just I'm laughing at myself level four by the way when you make mistakes laugh at yourself everybody else is join them okay don't just be by yourself okay is is the people development level the people development level the key word here is reproduction at level number four you're now reproducing people and reproducing leaders and the key word is at level three they follow you because what you've done for the organization at level number four they follow you because of what you have done for them in other words at level three you've changed the organization but at level number four you've changed them now this is an incredible level to be on when you're on level number three people are saying it's amazing what he or she has done to the department since she's been there everything is so much better but when you're at level number four they not only talk about what you've done for the organization you know what they'll start talking about we'll say let me tell you what that person has done for me I joined this company three and a half years ago they began to mentor me they begin to develop me they begin to equip and train me and I'm here to tell you I'm you are I'm a better person because of them I'm a better leader because of that I've learned how to lead uh you know I've had three pay raises because I'm getting productive image now they're talking about you and they're talking to you about the fact that you not only help the organization you've helped them now let me tell you something at level number for loyalty kicks in big-time this is where they go to the mat for you I mean at level number four they say oh my goodness let me tell you something I'm gonna be loyal to this individual because look what they have done for me and this is a wonderful level to be on and what I do is I try to teach leadership in such a way that I help people learn how to develop people so therefore I write books on teamwork I write write books on howdy because if you can develop people if you can if you can raise up people if you can find them recruit them raise them up developing them into leaders the world will be yours because now you're reproducing everything at level 3 everything is addition at level number 4 everything is multiplication why because at level 3 you're still having to touch everything to make it work at level 4 the people that you have trained and develop are also teaching and touching and and multiply and so now all of a sudden you're looking everything and it's in its beginning it's just like oh my goodness I can't believe how fast we're beginning to grow what happened many hands make light work level number four is that level where you're developing people I have spent my entire life at level number four I've spent all my life trying to develop people by in fact my whole thing is I you know I at this time have I just sold one company but I own two companies still and my whole thing has been I'm gonna raise up people and let them get in leadership positions and then and then I'm gonna give them the job in fact what I tell them is I'm gonna develop you and equip you and I'm gonna expect you I'm gonna work myself out of a job I'm gonna work myself out of a job and and don't worry about me when I work myself out of this job I'll go find another one so I don't relax take a pill but then what I tell people is your job now is to work your way out of a job in fact here's what I tell them if you look training equip people to work your way out of a job I'll give you another job but if you can't train and equip people and work your way out of the job you've got I'm gonna take it away from you because what my goal in life is to help people train develop equip people until those people can carry on those responsibilities now it's at level number four that you'd begin to train leaders it's bed level number four that you begin to develop a good team it's at level number four that people begin to have a greater self-worth because they're getting better why are they getting better because of how you have helped them get better you're now really adding value to people now there's one more level and then I want to do two or three thoughts about that then we'll take a quick break a level number one's the position level people follow you because you have certain rights they have to at level two is relationships now they're following you because they like you or because they want to level three is production the key word is results they now are following you because of what you've done for the organization and at level number four you're now developing people the key word is reproduction and you're they're following you because what you have done for them now notice this if you're on level four you're also with the people on level three two and one you're building so you're reproducing people you're doing good for the organization people like you and you have a position now if you do those four things extremely well one day the people you don't do this for yourself one day the people will put you on level five that level is the personhood level and the personhood level the key word there is respect and at level number five you have helped so many people so well for so long that now you're bigger than life and they have put you in a position of respect that you can enjoy the rest of your life now as I've taught these five levels of leadership let's look at it for a second let's look at these steps because if I were sitting where you are and I would be taking notes and I would be looking at these steps the steps yeah thank you I know I don't have the gift of artistry but keep it there okay say I'd be looking at these five levels and I would be asking my that's the question you should be asking yourself right now and I would almost guarantee and many of you are you're asking yourself what level am I on with the people I lead isn't that true here looking at my own level one or my own level two or my own level three and if you are here with somebody that you work with or is that that is your overseer you're probably right now looking at yourself say well what level am I on with the leader now now what I want you to see about this there's a couple two or three things if you ask yourself what level you're on with the people in your organization the first thing you're gonna discover is this and see if this is not true the first thing you're going to discover is you're not on the same level with everybody in your organization is that not true talk to me for a moment thank you thank you in other words if somebody just new has come into your organization or Department it's highly probable you're on level number one isn't that true you haven't had time to develop relationships with them they don't know how good you are they don't know what you've done for the company you certainly haven't any time to develop them so for new people you're probably on level one now hopefully four people have been on the in your organization for a little bit you've developed a relationship with so now they like you you like them kumbaya time okay here we go where are the levels thank you so for Sam you're on level number two and you said okay this is good I'm on level number two you're on you know let's say for example let's say you have 10 people in your department it's you're with all 10 people you're on level number one but with on level number two you may only be on level number two with about seven of them in fact the higher you go the less people will be on the level with you now on level number three because some have been with you and have been have seen success for a while on level number three you may be on a level that level with five of the ten so it on level number four maybe you've only developed two of them so you're on level with two out of the ten you've got two of them on level four that are with you now now talk to me from me because I this is a three-hour lecture I'm trying to do in 30 minutes give me feedback do you understand where I'm saying here you got heavy look at the person beside you and say I understand what he's saying go ahead and tell her thank you thank you thank you in fact look at that person say and why don't you understand this alarm okay okay yeah now here's what I want you to see you're not on the same level with everybody in your department make sense yes or no okay you got it now here we go here's what I want you to see people follow you based on what level they're on with you so people don't follow you the same people receive your vision or your dream based upon what level you're on so therefore if you get up in front of your people it's okay I want to talk to you about okay we're going to we're going to relocate it we're going to make some changes in this company now let me tell you something when you say I'm gonna make changes in the company people on level number one they don't have much allegiance to you they're not gonna change with you they're they're looking at you they're crossing arms and I don't want to do that I'm not gonna do their people on level number four they've been with you long enough you've you've got a relationship with them they've watched you do be successful the company that you've developed it see at level number four there's a lot more commitment level number four there's a lot more willingness to change so people ask me all the time they'll say John I stood up in front of the same group of people on the same day in the same company and I cast the same vision and I got five different reactions why it's very simple people receive the vision based upon what level they're on with you by the way that's why you can't lead everybody the same you lead people much differently on level number one than you do that are on level number two you have to know which level they're on and so here's your exercise in fact this is an incredible exercise for you I wish I had time to walk you through it but you're the smartest crowd I've talked to today so you can walk through it yourself I would encourage you I don't know sometime this week don't let this week pass without doing this exercise list the people that you lead and ask the question what level are they on with you are they a level one person are they level four and put names with the levels and then look at how you're going to have to lead them for example the higher you go the easier it is to lead you don't even have to prove your leadership to people in level number four they've been with you for so long they've seen you do it so well what once you say let's go they just get up and say let's go why did they say that because they've watched you they've observed you see the higher you go the easier is lead so the more people you have on higher levels the easier it is to lead them that's why leadership in the beginning is very difficult because you haven't established yourself you haven't established what level that you're going to be on how're we doing go back to the levels one more time I'm almost done but not quite here's what I want you to see people let's say with most people you're on level number three there you are never look better okay now it's very possible as a leader that you'll make a big mistake make you'll make a wrong decision Pappy perhaps you'll make something that will cost the company something okay now here's what I want you to understand if you're on level number three with most the people you may fall a little bit but if you fall you've got the next level to catch you does that make sense now if you are just a positional leader and you've never increased your leadership strength any more than that and let's say you're on level number one when you make a mistake this is not a good thing you're now out of the organization in the United States when you have to move you call you halt I tell people in the States if they're on level number one they're one step from you home the higher you go the more cushion you have under your leadership that's why when people that are very good