The Metiss Group's Blog

If you’ve ever embarked on an exercise program, you know after a while your body strengthens and exercises that were once difficult to perform are easy to do.  You then increase the intensity of the exercise by adding more weight or more reps until that becomes easy and then you add more again to challenge yourself.  Continually pushing our bodies is what creates the health improvements we seek.  If we stopped improving, eventually we would lose the gains we made.

The same is true with work endeavors.  We must continually improve our work or eventually fall behind.  The “A” player who stops pushing for improvement will eventually become a “B” player, and if still refuses to grow will become a “C” player and will ultimately be out of work.  Leaders should ensure their direct reports are continually challenged either through internal motivations or through their coaching.

Leaders who empower and push their direct reports to improve will continue to be successful.

According to bestselling author Jim Collins, humility is a key ingredient of Level 5 leadership. His simple formula is Humility + Will = Level 5. “Level 5 leaders are a study in duality; modest and willful, shy and fearless,” says Collins. 

Collins is also a noted leadership speaker, collecting over $75,000 per speaking event. As you can imagine, those speaking events attract some very accomplished leaders. One question Collins asks in his sessions is for the leaders in the crowd to raise their hand if they think they are a Level 5 leader. Inevitably many leaders raise their hands. Collins then, much to the leaders’ chagrin, says, “a Level 5 leader would never raise their hand.“

Collins’ point is Level 5 leaders with all their humility would never admit they are an accomplished leader; that they are always striving to be better and never satisfied with their performance.

Level 5 leaders look in the mirror during bad times and out the window during good times. Humble leaders are not afraid to seek outside counsel to make their organizations better knowing they don’t have all the answers.

Empowered leaders pursue Level 5 leadership and they, along with their teams, experience greater success.