Level Up, Week 5: Production
Welcome to Week 5 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership. This week we’re studying Level 3, Production. This is the week when the task-oriented members of your group will probably understand the topic intuitively and wonder how anyone could miss the value of production. And the people-oriented individuals might be tempted…
Read MoreMaking the Most of Life’s Significant Moments
By themselves, significant moments do not alter a person’s behavior. Events certainly can make powerful impressions on us: they stir our emotions, capture our imagination, provoke our conscience, or bring revelation. However, events do not automatically transform us, and the feelings they evoke usually are short-lived. Leadership breakthroughs happen when we seize the opportunity…
Read MoreLeadership Breakthroughs
In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s the Berlin Wall served as a tangible reminder of the Iron Curtain separating Western democracies from Europe’s Soviet-led Eastern bloc. The East German government had erected the wall in an attempt to halt the country’s “Brain Drain,” in which ever-increasing numbers of prominent citizens were fleeing westward. The barricade…
Read MoreLevel Up, Week 4: Permission
Welcome to Week 4 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! This week we’ll be diving into Level 2: Permission. Are you naturally people-oriented or task-oriented? You’ll discover that everyone in your group naturally defaults to one or the other. They’ll assign the highest value to either getting things done or building…
Read MoreLevel Up, Week 3: Position
Welcome to Week 3 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! This week we are studying Level 1: Position. The thing about position is, those who don’t have one, think that’s what they need to lead. But those who do have a position understand how little power it actually gives them in…
Read MorePersuasive or Manipulative?
All leaders are salespersons. Though they may not be peddling a product, leaders are selling a picture of what the future could be and should be. They seek to persuade others to buy-in to a particular vision. Unfortunately, skepticism toward leadership abounds throughout society. Every year since 2004, Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership, in…
Read MoreDealing with Relational Difficulties
Following a 34-17 loss on October 2nd, Santonio Holmes, wide receiver and team captain for the New York Jets, suggested fault for the defeat lay with his team’s quarterback and offensive linemen. In venting his frustration, Holmes violated a team rule to keep criticism of fellow players internal to the organization. The wide receiver’s comments…
Read MoreLevel up, Week 2: Where do you go from here?
Welcome to Week 2 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! Last week, we hit the ground running, with a challenging assignment to read the introduction and complete the leadership assessment in just seven days. In this week’s meeting, your goal as leader is to learn where every member of the group…
Read MoreLevel up, Week 1: Finding your starting point
Welcome to Week 1 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! I’m excited to join you in this journey! Each week, we’ll tackle a section of the book, with insights, discussion questions, and an assignment. If you’re leading a group, you can use the section labeled “Facilitator’s Guide” to lead group discussion.…
Read MorePopulating Your Passion
With $50 in his pocket, Dustin Hoffman headed to New York, hoping to find work as an actor. Inexperienced and unknown, Hoffman struggled to find employment. Acting gigs were not paying his bills, so he worked an assortment of odd jobs to stay afloat, including typing for the Yellow Pages, stringing together Hawaiian leis, and…
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