How a Leader Grows in Influence: The Five Levels of Influence Following their discussion of how leaders grow personally, the authors transition their investigation of leadership development to consider the stages of leadership development. Diverging from the patterns of Maxwell and Collins, focusing primarily on how a follower perceives the leader's influence, Brady and Woodward concentrate on the internal process by which potential leaders acquire and expand their influence. This new perspective underscores several competencies essential to the sustained growth of personal influence; Learning, Performing, Leading, Developing Leaders, and Developing Developers (Brady, & Woodward, 2005, p. 123). Learning In this chapter, the authors expand upon their previous discussion of the foundational qualities of leadership development; namely, leaders must be teachable. Considering the pace at which the socio-economics of culture is changing, to remain relevant, leaders must learn as naturally as they breath. Brady and Woodward (2005) clarify that learning need not entail formal education, leaders should learn from everyone, but the best learning experience comes from those with skin in the game and results under their belt. For …show more content…
Unlike Benjamin Franklin, Roosevelt was born with all the benefits of affluence; education, travel and oportunity. However, his physical stamina paled in comparison to his intellectual strength; as a child finding himself as the victim of other's malicious intent. Determined to turn these tables, with the aid of his father, Theodore set out to reshape his physical abilities through consummate self-determination; the results of which propelled him to experience the highest levels influence. While Roosevelt described his life as "second class" success, attained simply through hard work, the product of this success would leave most natural born leaders in