Education and leadership go hand-in-hand

Hello Reader

Hopefully, a lot may go well in your further life steps in this fascinating and exciting technological revolution.
Never thought that the release of my book in 2019 is such an affirmation of a progressive world where we are still the pilot and decide how fast we want to go ourselves.
If you experience pressure learn to make your own choices where you recharge.
Still, education and business remain my hobbyhorses.

Last week I had the opportunity to coach a wonderful team of unknown people from various companies in training in project management. The line between the worlds of education and business is so wafer-thin.

When I returned home after the training, the images of the Islamist school in Senegal stuck in my mind. It was on the one hand a confrontation to be allowed to visit the school and on the other an eye-opener to meet street children in the presence of a teacher and guided by the true vision of an imam.
The nice feeling when one of the students touched my arm and looked with questioning eyes or curiosity after hearing it several times in the streets where children and parents shouted: The whites are there. Again, we felt a welcome in duality knowing from past history we are definitely not in good standing. I understood their feelings.

We think we are rich in this by installing digital smartboards and investing in ICT. Yet we must not forget about being human. Know your limits because no matter how pro evolution I am, guard your balance.

Watching the teacher at work, I noticed 5 levels of leadership that each of us can also apply.

Level 1:

Position

“Position is a poor substitute for influence.”

Position is the lowest level of leadership – the entry level. People follow because they have to. Positional leadership is used on the rights, granted by the position and title. Nothing is wrong with having a leadership position. Everything is wrong with using position to get people to follow.
Position is a poor substitute for influence. People who make it only to Level 1 may be bosses, but they never leaders. They have subordinates, not team members. They rely on rules, regulations, policies, and organization charts to control their people. Their people will only follow them within the stated boundaries of their authority. And their people will usually do only what is required of them. When positional leaders ask for extra effort or time, they rarely get it.
Positional leaders usually have difficulty working with volunteers, younger people, and the highly educated. Because positional leaders have no influence, and these types of people tend to be more independent. Position is the only level that does not require ability and effort to achieve. Anyone can be appointed to a position.

Level 2:

Permission

“You can like people without leading them, but you cannot lead people well without liking them.”

Level 2 is based entirely on relationships. People follow because they want to. When you like people and treat them like individuals who have value, you begin to develop influence with them. You develop trust. The environment becomes much miorepositive – whether at home, on the job, at play, or while volunteering. The agenda for leaders on Level 2 isn’t preserving their position. It’s getting to know their people and figuring out how to get along with them. Leaders find out who their people are. Followers find out who their leaders are.

Level 3:

Production

“When you are winning nothing hurts.”

One of the dangers of getting to the Permission level is that a leader may be tempted to stop there. Good leaders don’t just create a pleasant working environment. They get things done! That’s why they must move to Level 3, which is based on results. On the Production Level leaders gain influence and credibility, and people begin to follow them because of what they have done for the organization.
Many positive things begin happening when leaders get to Level 3. Work gets done, morale improves, profits go up, turnover goes down, and goals are achieved. It is also on Level 3 that momentum kicks in.
Leading and influencing others becomes fun on this level.

On Level 3 leaders can become:
1) change agents
2) can tackle tough problems and face thorny issues
3) can make the difficult decisions that will make a difference
4) can take their people to another level of effectiveness

Level 4:

People Development

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.”

Leaders use their position, relationships, and productivity to invest in their followers and develop them until those folowers become leaders in their own right. The result is reproduction. Level 4 leaders reproduce themselves.
Production may win games, but People Develoment wins championships.

Two things always happen on Level 4:
1) Teamwork goes to a very high level – because the high investment in people deepens relationships, helps people to know one another better, and strengthens loyalty.
2) Performance increases – because there are more leaders on the team, and they help to improve everybody’s performance.

Level 5:

Pinnacle

“Developing people to become Level 4 leaders.”

The highest and most difficult level of leadership is the Pinnacle. While most people can learn to climb to Levels 1 through 4, Level 5 requires not only effort, skill, and intentionality, but also a high level of talent. Only naturally gifted leaders ever make it to the highest level. If people are respectful, pleasant, and productive, they can establish a degree of influence with others and gain followers with relative ease. Developing followers to lead on their own is difficult. Most leaders don’t do it because it takes so much more work than simply leading followers. But they are the payoffs: Level 5 leaders develop Level 5 organizations. They create legacy in what they do. People follow them because of who they are and what they represent. In other words, their leadership gains a positive reputation. As a result, Level 5 leaders often transcend their position, their organization, and sometimes their industry

Conclusion

Leadership in 5 levels:

1. 1. Level 1: Position – RIGHTS
      People follow you because they have to.
   2. Level 2: Permission – RELATIONSHIPS
      People follow you because they want to.
   3. Level 3: Production – RESULTS
      People follow because of what you have done for the organization.
   4.  Level 4: People Development – REPRODUCTION
      People follow because of what you have done for them.
   5. Level 5: Pinnacle – RESPECT
      People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

Source: my book

Be continued ….

‘If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.’ – Wayne Dyer

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Warm regards,
Oiheba Bensaâd