Level 1 of The 5 Levels of Leadership

You may have heard it said that everything rises and falls on leadership.

But what exactly is leadership?

Leadership is influence.

The more influence you earn, the more people you can lead.

Some are natural-born leaders.

The rest of us have to learn how to be an effective leader.

Fortunately for us, there is a clear process, but a few points before we begin:

Point 1: You are at a different leadership level with each person.

Point 2: Each level builds upon the next.

Point 3: If you switch divisions for companies, you start over at Level 1, and have to earn your way back up.

There are 5 Levels of Leadership (see John Maxwell’s book The 5 Levels of Leadership) in fact, so let’s begin…

Level 1: Position

This is when you have just been promoted to a leadership position.

This is usually given because you have leadership potential.

It’s an invitation to grow as a leader.

Welcome to the table; however, this is the worst level to stay at because at this level, people only follow you because they have to.

They will only do what’s required of them and nothing more.

You don’t have their heart nor respect, yet. You’re just an authority.

The Upside of the Position: You Have Been Invited to the Leadership Table
The Downside of the Position: True Leadership Isn’t About Position

Positional Leadership is only about being the “boss” and nothing more.

It’s a very weak level of influence based only on a title.

Anyone can be appointed to a position.

Those of us who have had a boss who we did not like, know exactly what I’m talking about.

Leaders who rely on position and say things like, “Because I’m the boss!” tend to devalue people.

Positional leaders feed on politics and are always jockeying for a better position.

They also rely on rights over responsibility.

Positional leadership is lonely and turnover is high.

“People quit people, not companies.” – John Maxwell

But, what about your leadership?

Do you struggle to get your team to go the extra mile?

Do you have to refer back to the policy and guidelines just to get them to do what’s required of them?

Do they stress you out?

Well, you may currently be a Level 1 Leader with them.

If so, don’t fret, I have good news for you.

Here are 4 things you can do to grow through Level 1.

Influence starts with gratitude, so thank the person who promoted you:
1. If you’ve been promoted it’s an indication that somebody believes in you.
Get to know your people:
1. You’ve heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Learn about each person’s dreams, desires, as well as their communication styles.
Work alongside them:
1. Ask them how you can help them to achieve their objectives, and then do everything you can to help them, while encouraging them every step of the way.
Focus on the vision:
1. You’re all in this together to grow the company or organization because the rising tide lifts all boats.

In the next post, we will be unpacking the second level of leadership, level 2: The Permission Level.

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About the Author

As many of you know, my journey has been one of grit, grace, and transformation. At 19, I was a high school dropout, single father, and struggling paint contractor in Michigan. I later moved to Florida, where I faced both personal and professional hardships. With nothing left to lose, I turned to prayer—and was blessed with a relentless hunger to learn. I devoured books, attended seminars, and discovered better ways to streamline and grow my business—even through the Great Recession (and yes, I did hit the wife lottery along the way!). In 2014, I published How To Double Your Business and later sold the painting business, launching a new chapter: coaching others to grow their businesses. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping business owners scale through the DYB System, while also drawing from frameworks like EOS, Scaling Up, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. Yet something was still missing—something more adaptive, integrated, and complete. Then I found Pinnacle. After months of research and interviews with other Guides, I joined Pinnacle. Their tools and strategies have exceeded every expectation. Now, as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help leadership teams implement a custom-tailored operating system that draws from the best in the industry—but flexes with your unique business. It’s a dynamic, proven approach to achieve clarity, momentum, and lasting growth. I’m no longer taking on any more 1:1 coaching clients… Instead, I now specialize in working with visionary business owners who are ready to get their leadership teams aligned—around a clear vision, a focused strategy, and an actionable execution plan. With the tools and process I now have as a Pinnacle Business Guide, I help turn alignment into momentum, and momentum into results. If your business is growing—but your leadership team isn’t fully rowing in the same direction—let’s talk.