Level 5 leader - Book Report/Review Example

inserts his/her Level 5 leader A Level 5 leader goes beyond the realm of individual ego and individual ambition for the larger benefit of the corporation. In other words, such leaders possess the highest commitment, resolve and will to take the corporation to new heights. Level 5 leaders, therefore, would keep aside personal advantages in order for the corporation to go from good to great. Even though these leaders possess a great degree of humility, they must not be confused with self-sacrificing leaders.

Such individuals, in fact, are intrinsically driven to produce results for the company even if that translates to any personal disadvantage such as firing a family member. Furthermore, Level 5 leaders set the highest standards for the company and then make sure that these standards are not compromised upon. One of the key ingredients that distinguishes a Level 5 leader from a Level 4 or any other leader is that a Level 5 leader’s primary concern in not money for the organization but transcendental success that continues even after the leader’s demise.

Ironically, such leaders do not seek outside help for seeking transformational change in the organisation; rather, they themselves act as primary change agents. Most importantly, a Level 5 leader tends to have an internal locus of control when it comes to attributing the causes of failure and an external locus of control when attributing causes of success. This contributes to positive improvement for both the leader and the organization. The fact that such leaders are rare to find makes for the fact that not every organization is home to such leaders.

Those that do possess such leaders as Steve Jobs in the case of Apple, however, witness a historical turnaround whereby the leader’s legacy continues even after his death.