Level 5 Leadership Analysis

Draft Leadership Critique

Jim Collins’ theory of Level 5 Leadership has fundamentally transformed my perspective on leadership. My amusement is that the theory is not a hypothesis or a coined out phrase but, rather derivative of empirically research. I would rather call it a discovery.

According to Collins' defined, Level 5 leaders are those at "the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities." (2005: 138) Those category of leaders are individuals who possess a “combination of personal humility plus professional will” (Collins, J., 2005: 140).Also, they are “modest and willful, shy and fearless” (Collins, J., 2005: 140). The most surprising part about those Level 5 leaders is that they look very ordinary people that they can easily

Whether Level 5 leaders are transformational in their style is not directly mentioned. However, in his research Collins observed "Level 5 leaders routinely select superb successors." (2005: 144) is in agreement with the idea that “Transformational leadership....develop the followers to achieve their fullest potential” (Jogulu, 2010: 706) also “they not only inspire those around them, they empower those individuals to step up and lead.” (George et al., 2007:137). That is typical of Level 5 leaders who take upon themselves the responsibility to develop their

Those attributes are what makes sense to me as a leader. I hate the spotlight, but I cannot claim that I own Level 5 seed. Opposite to Level 5 leadership mindset, Shamir portrayed “leaders who truly believe they have been endowed with special qualities not possessed by ordinary mortals and who act on the basis of such a belief. History has shown that such leaders can be very dangerous.” (2005: 400). Such poor leadership mindset are contrary to my convictions and as a leader, that's why I am infatuated with Level 5 leadership all the more.

In conclusion, Collins' piece on Level 5 leadership only tells us who these leaders are, how they conduct their business, the results they produce, and the impact they make. There are still so many unknowns, for instance, how they came to being? How to find them? What indicator do they pose? What environment exposes them? Organizations that are on the good side of luck may run into a Level 5 leader and enjoy a transfer from "good-to-great"(Collins, 2005: 138). But it is equally true that those organizations with bad luck. For those, Level 5 leadership will remain a mere academic