Leadership Path

I am writing a book on business development.  Sharing our story of how we are taking a small local sub-million dollar company in Minneapolis and turning it into a multi-million dollar and multi-location company.  Thought I would just quickly share the leadership path that came out in one of the sections.

If you want to grow a large organization and you want it to be stable, first consider your own leadership capabilities and experience.  When you find yourself somewhere on this continuum, do three things:

1. Make sure you came up from the bottom and not just skipped some of the basic areas.
2. Figure out how you can master your current level.
3. Decide on what you need to do to get to the next level.

Level 1:  Self-Leadership

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  You already do this.  Well, maybe.  Let's look at a couple areas:

1. Goals and Vision written out with plans?
2. Finances in order with monthly budgets?
3. Diet and Exercise routines taking care of the machine that is going to help you achieve?
4.  Relationships in order?  Close with those you need to be close to and building your network?
5.  Intellectually expanding?
              1.  Reading, listening to audio programs, or going to seminars?
              2. Thinking Big.  Thinking past all obstacles?

If you are doing great here then go on.  If not, may I encourage you to spend a month or two and focus on the key areas of self-leadership needed.

Level 2:  Leading Another Person

Apply Level 1 to someone you oversee by teaching and inspiriting them.  This includes letting this person into your life for you to model self-leadership for them.  Begin the steps of delegation and performance review.  If you do not have positional authority over someone, learn the more powerful art of influence as a step in leadership. 

Level 3:  Leading a Team

Take the skills you learned on teaching, inspiring, and modeling, add to that the goal setting and vision creation you did in level 1 and expand it to a team.  At this level learn team dynamics.  Learn the areas of personality styles and how they compliment and conflict with each other.  Expand your skills of delegation, project management, and running meetings.

Level 4:  Leading Leaders

Many small business leaders and managers plateau at Level 3.  That is not for you.  Review your team and begin leadership development of one or two high potential leaders.  Take them through the Levels 1-3.  Delegate whole projects and teams to them.  Measure their leadership and team results. 

Level 5:  Leading Multiple Enterprises

This is the CEO level of leadership.  It is the culmination in leadership that everyone can achieve.  Encourage the leaders you developed in Level 4 to launch a new business line or division of the company.  If you are not the  president of your company and you are wanting to go to this level, create multiple streams of income for yourself.  Not by doing more but through leaders you created.  Develop a great board of directors for yourself.  Get advisers in your life and continue to advise yourself.

Go through these levels of leadership success.  Let me know what you experience.  What would you modify or add?

Leadership is what makes a person, a company, and a nation great.  It expands your influence for good.  It enables you to help people and customers that you cannot help by yourself.  It is worth the effort and the journey.