Production is one of the hardest leadership levels to master because this level is results oriented. In other words it can’t be faked or mistaken. No my friends, the third level of leadership reveals your leadership style to the outside world for everyone to see. Including your peers and especially higher up the food chain! Maxwell describes production like this,
“Level 3: Production
Production qualifies and separates true leaders from people who merely occupy leadership positions. Good leaders always make things happen. They get results. They can make a significant impact on an organization. Not only are they productive individually, but they also are able to help the team produce. No one can fake Level 3. Either you’re producing for the organization and adding to its bottom line (whatever that may be), or you’re not.
Some people never move up from Level 2 Permission to Level 3 Production. Why? They can’t seem to produce results. When that is the case, it’s usually because they lack the self-discipline, work ethic, organization, or skills to be productive. However, if you desire to go to higher levels of leadership, you simply have to produce. There is no other way around it.”
Could it not be argued that the very purpose of leadership is to lead something forward? Now with that being the case, a responsible leader must be able to show proof of the progress he or she has made. This means a leader absolutely has to be an open book to those who might scrutiny his or her leadership style. This is important because it allows fresh ideas and points of view to flow into the work environment!
Tune in next post when we discuss the fourth level of leadership, people development!
The Modern Leader 