![]() ![]() But when results are poor, they blame themselves. How do Level 5 leaders manifest humility? They routinely credit others, external factors, and good luck for their companies’ success. The Idea in Practice Humility + Will = Level 5 The formerly lackluster Kimberly-Clark became the worldwide leader in its industry, generating stock returns 4.1 times greater than the general market’s. Shy, awkward, shunning attention, he also showed iron will, determinedly redefining the firm’s core business despite Wall Street’s skepticism. But mild-mannered, steely leaders like Darwin Smith of Kimberly-Clark boost their companies to greatness-and keep them there.ĭarwin Smith-CEO at paper-products maker Kimberly-Clark from 1971 to 1991-epitomizes Level 5 leadership. This rare combination also defies our assumptions about what makes a great leader.Ĭelebrities like Lee Iacocca may make headlines. Level 5 leaders blend the paradoxical combination of deep personal humility with intense professional will. What did these 11 companies have in common? Each had a “Level 5” leader at the helm. Out of 1,435 Fortune 500 companies that renowned management researcher Jim Collins studied, only 11 achieved and sustained greatness-garnering stock returns at least three times the market’s-for 15 years after a major transition period. “Our own lives and all that we touch will be the better for making the effort,” he concludes. But Collins suggests using the findings from his research to strive for Level 5-for instance, by getting the right people on board and creating a culture of discipline. Some leaders have the Level 5 seed within some don’t. Smith with those of larger-than-life business leaders like Dunlap and Iacocca, who courted personal celebrity. He contrasts the turnaround successes of outwardly humble, even shy, executives like Gillette’s Colman M. Collins fleshes out his Level 5 theory by telling colorful tales about 11 such leaders from recent business history. ![]() He identifies the characteristics common to Level 5 leaders: humility, will, ferocious resolve, and the tendency to give credit to others while assigning blame to themselves. In this 2001 article, Collins paints a compelling and counterintuitive portrait of the skills and personality traits necessary for effective leadership. The essential ingredient for taking a company to greatness is having a “Level 5” leader, an executive in whom extreme personal humility blends paradoxically with intense professional will. But that’s not the case, says author and leadership expert Jim Collins. Think “Chainsaw” AI Dunlap or Lee Iacocca. Boards of directors typically believe that transforming a company from good to great requires an extreme personality, an egocentric chief to lead the corporate charge. ![]()
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