Article 06: Six (6) Phases of Leadership Part 2
In the previous blog, I explained the first 3 Phases Of Leadership (POL). In this blog, I will finish explaining the final three POL. Below are the remaining 3 POL:
The farther you advance on your leadership journey, the more committed, the more you give, and the more energy it takes to keep growing.
-Joshua K. McMillion
Succeed Together
The 4th POL is to succeed together, producing results and gaining traction as a team. Leaders are not placed in a position not to produce results. PALs are agents of change that build traction and create wins to inspire others. You must produce measurable output to inspire others to advance your leadership journey. There is a fine line between building authentic relationships and not growing. The 3rd and 4th POL will happen simultaneously. You will never be given the time to focus solely on fostering connections. Leaders will not be provided the time to create meaningful connections upfront, given the demands of most jobs. PALs must continue cultivating trust, earning respect, and sowing the values desired in the organization.
Suppose you are given a position that requires immediate results. In that case, you need to create a problem-solving organization that practices disciplined disobedience (See Part I). It also allows your organization to practice constructive candor, which is vital for a new leader to understand blind spots. Constructive candor will enable organizations to speak freely while maintaining professionalism, allowing leaders to avoid dead space. If someone on the team sees an issue and is not comfortable speaking up and the organization fails, it is the leader's fault.
Your primary job in 4th POL is separating yourself from the tactical decisions. Not jumping in and rescuing your team by solving problems will be uncomfortable initially but will cultivate mission command in your organization. You need to adopt an aerial mindset focused on the long-term vision and risk mitigation. Your team operates in the present; you must operate in the tomorrow. However, there will be times when you need to come in with a sledgehammer mindset and destroy obstacles for your team. There are tasks that only leaders can accomplish, and it takes experience to know when to interject. Before moving to the 5th POL, you must remove yourself as the bottleneck for information-sharing and decision-making.
2012 Afghanistan
Combat Deployment
Still, one of the most humbling leadership positions I have been in was in 2012 as a rifle platoon leader. The platoon I was selected to lead suffered numerous casualties before I took over. The experience taught me why winning and getting results matter.
Shaping Leaders
The 5th POL is shaping leaders. Before you begin to shape future leaders, you must clearly understand the leader you are now and the Purposeful Accountable Leader (PAL) you strive to become. I recommend starting by defining your house of leadership "leadership philosophy." You clearly understand your strengths/weaknesses and have spent the time required in the previous phase. If you achieved success in the 4th POL, you have created time. Now reinvest that time back into your organization's future leaders. If you want to continue your leadership journey, create white space to think, allowing you to focus on developing other leaders. Your goal as a leader must be to train future leaders so well that you work yourself out of a job.
Not all people in your team will be worth the investment, which is just a fact of leadership. There is not enough time to work with every leader in your organization. Some leaders will require extensive work, and some will require minimal work, but it's up to you to determine who you choose to invest in. A general rule of thumb follows the Pareto Principle, stating that 20% of your formation will create 80% of your results. PALs should be focused on the top 20%. Within that 20%, you further identify the top 5%, 10%, and 15% performers. Ultimately, leaders need to take a hard look at who has the most potential to grow as a leader. You cannot reap the fruits of your work if you have not taken the time to sew.
As you are developing leaders, you must maintain your professionalism. PALs have to keep professional boundaries because they choose whom to invest in. A fact of leadership is that not everyone aspiring to become a PAL at the 5th POL will make it. Remember, leaders are not born; they are forged. To progress to the 5th and 6th POL takes another level of commitment. The 5th POL requires leaders to merge the art and science of leadership. Leadership is not liker-ship, which means investing in others does not mean building friends, but friendship will come if you are authentic. PALs are forging those individuals into a better version of themselves. Remember, growth is uncomfortable, and you ask future leaders to push beyond what is comfortable and move to the realm of possibilities.
2017 Iraq
World Tour
I was blessed to have a second company command position. Serving as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander for over 200 soldiers. In this position, I learned to spend most of my time developing other leaders in my formation and what can be achieved from those efforts.
Summit Leadership
The final phase of the journey is summit leadership, which leaders rarely achieve. To progress to summit leadership, you have to climb the mountain top. That mountain is built on personal and professional failures along the journey. To accomplish the 6th POL, lead yourself well, establish routines, maintain discipline, care personally for others, achieve results, and build other inspiring leaders. When you make it to this level, you impact thousands of lives. You have established a reputation and impeccable character and are widely known as the authority within your chosen field.
Once you progress to the 6th POL, you operate with an aerial view. Your decisions should only focus on strategic-level problems, while the lion's share of your time should be free for thinking. You are now a bridge-builder for your organization, guiding others along the leadership bridge. PALs create phase five leaders who make tactical and operational decisions daily. PALs challenge leaders at the 5th POL to actively produce other leaders within the organization. Remember, leadership is a journey; even if you advance to the summit of leadership, you have not arrived. Stay humble, remember your why, and remain curious.
Full transparency, I'm nowhere near summit leadership. I see this as a lifelong journey. Even if I achieve summit leadership, there is more to learn. Leadership is a call to action, a journey we all must take. Start building your bridge, and remember to fail small and often. Failure is inevitable, and you must never be afraid of failure; instead, embrace it. To progress to summit leadership, the failures we cumulate deepen our resolve and become the mortar of our bridge. You must remain coachable, curious, and committed to self-growth and developing others.
John C. Maxwell
A personal mentor in my life and summit leader is John C. Maxwell. Even though I have never met or spoken with John, his books and wisdom are timeless. John is a speaker, pastor, and acclaimed author. One day I hope to meet him!
Final Thoughts
My goal in this blog was to outline the 6 POL by providing an overview of each phase. In the following blogs, I will give you personal examples of how leaders win and lose at each POL. As I share my thoughts with you, take the time to start thinking about the leader you choose to become. Share in the comments below, or feel free to send me a personal message. I hope you have a better understanding of the 6 POL. We all have greatness inside, but it's up to us to forge those abilities. Become the leader your team needs!
After Action Review
What lessons did you learn about yourself?
Where are you on the 6 POL?
Are you committed to advancing on your leadership bridge?
My Mission: I will end toxic leadership practices by equipping leaders with transformational leadership skills.
Together, we will impact 1 MILLION lives!!!
Every day is a gift, don't waste yours!
Joshua K. McMillion | Founder MLC | Founder MLC
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