The Three Levels of The Leadership Model

With the ever-changing societal and work environments, there is a continuous need for people, who maintain leadership positions, to check their leadership models. Thus, myriad leadership models abound in an attempt to motivate and guide people. However, it should be noted that not all leadership models and theories are effective. For a thorough understanding of the effective leadership model, it is essential to recap the available leadership models. Scholars advanced ten main leadership models that include situational leadership, servant leadership, Blake and Mouton’s leadership grid, emotional intelligence, Kouzes and Posner’s leadership model, level five leadership, the grow model, authentic leadership, six leadership passages, and the diamond model of leadership. These leadership models advance various models that leaders can adopt in order to ensure the success of their groups or organizations. However, an owner of an industrial company located in West Virginia needs more than what has been advanced in the aforementioned leadership models to be an effective leader. Thus, three levels of leadership model abound as the effective leadership model will support activity of the owner of an industrial company. The effectiveness of this model denotes the fact that it facilitates a leader to develop his or her technical and psychological viewpoint regarding the task. In addition, the theory comprises of levels that address various aspects of leadership that are private, public and personal leadership.

This essay explores the three levels model of leadership as an effective leadership model and mentions the theories that support and fall short against the ideals advanced by this theory.

Overview of the Three Levels of Leadership Model

The three levels of leadership model is a more recent developed theory that seeks to address the shortcomings of earlier models of leadership. This theory also incorporates the strengths of the earlier models of leadership, which make it to stand out as the best model of leadership. Research by Cole (2004) asserts that the three levels of leadership model is a model that can be considered practical in nature as it avails practical advice that can facilitate the development of leadership presence, skill, and knowhow. Notably, the model provides a summary regarding what leaders should incoporate in their practice in order for their groups to feel their leadership. At the same time, it provides room for improvement technically and psychologically. It should also be noted that the theory provides a foundation for leaders who want to incoporate the ideals of authentic leadership and servant leadership at the same time. Thus, in order to establish the effectiveness of the three levels of leadership model, it is essential to explore the levels inherent, which include public, private, and personal leadership. An understanding of the diagram representation of the model is essential in understanding the functioning of the model. According to Gill (2012), the model in a diagram comprises of a circle that has three concentric circles with personal leadership located in the center. The circle also has four-outwardly directed arrows.

Private and Public Leadership

Private and public leadership appear on the outer levels of the circles. Research by Northouse (2012) indicates that they represent the behavioral levels. Notably, there is a difference between public and private leadership. Public leadership comprises of the behaviors that a person in a leadership position has to posses or practice in order to be able to influence two or more people. This is essential for an industrial company owner who has many people working under him because without influencing the worker’s behavior, the business is likely to stall or take a downward trend in terms of inputs. Public leadership is distinguished from private one, considering the fact that private leadership entails the behavior required of a manager or leader to be able to select and influence workers one on one. This is also significant for an industrial supply company owner because it is critical that one knows all his or her employees one by one. This is also essential in determining the employees’ weaknesses. Thus, the reason for selecting them and influencing them one by one. This is an idea that many previous leadership models failed to mention, and it is critical to the development of an organization or company. Thus, it is also essential to note that 34 “public behaviors” are outlined that ensure a leader stays on his good behavior in such a situation in order to motivate workers. Public leadership advances actions that should be undertaken, which avail three benefits. The benefits include the fact that it helps in setting and concentrating on a vision that is motivating, which is essential in ensuring unity of purpose. Secondly, public leadership cultivates positive peer pressure that are essential in team spirit and the development of trust. Lastly, public leadership results in successful collective action. The 34 mentioned public behaviors are grouped into five classes thet include group building and maintenance that comprises of 12 behaviors, vision setting comprising of 4 behaviors, and problem solving comprising of 10 behaviors. Organizing and execution comprise of 2 and six behaviors respectively.

In this context, private leadership is essential basing on the fact that despite a company or organization denoting sense of group unity, they still comprise of individuals who do not share the same psychological make-up, experience, ambitions, and confidence. Thus, this explains the purpose of private leadership in an industrial supply company as people can be treated as individuals in order to motivate them in areas that they are not fulfilling. The 14 behaviors under private leadership are grouped into two classes, which include individual purpose and task that comprises of 5 behaviors among them appraising, disciplining, and selecting. The remaining nine behaviors are under individual building and maintenance that include a behavior such as the recognition of a rising talent. It should be noted that both private and public leadership give credence to personal leadership. This abounds from the fact that personal leadership contributes to a person’s widening of his or her repertoire of public leadership behavior while, at the same time, it is essential to be familiar that private leadership can contribute to avoidance behavior, which results due to negative self image or lack of skill. Thus, it is important that a leader factors personal leadership for purposes of increasing his one-on-one skills and eliminate interpersonal fears.

Personal Leadership

Personal leadership plays a critical role in the functioning of public and private leadership. This abounds from the fact that it addresses the leader’s moral, technical, and pssychological development, which have a great impact on the leader’s behavior, leadership presence and skill. Thus, it can be concluded that personal leadership has a great influence on a person’s inner development, and it is essential that a person to advance good leadership. Personal leadership comprises of three aspects that include psychological self mastery, technical skill, and right attitude towards people. Notably, the first element of personal leadership facilitates the knowledge of personal weakness ad helps one to work on the noticed weakness. According to Northouse (2012), leaders need to have a knowhow in time management, group psychology, and individual psychology. In addition, several skills aid the private and public leadership behaviors such as setting goals, solving problems, group processes management, and making group decisions. The second element of personal leadership is also significant for an industrial supply company leader as it faciliattes him to have the right attitude to other people. Notably, this works towards having respect for oneself and others and upholding equality. Gill (2012) advances several things that add up to right attitude and these include balance, interdependence, service, and appreciation. Self-mastery is the third element of personal leadership and essential for an industrial supply leader because it promotes a flexible command and, at the same time, emphasizing self-awareness. These two characteristics are essential for a leader that seeks to grow as they facilitate a connection with one’s values (Northouse, 2012).

The merit of this leadership model provides a good definition of leadership presence, which deviates from the previous belief regarding the same. The previous models believed that a leader can get his or her presence through projection of a feeling of specialness by workers, job title, skillful acting, and fame (Cole, 2004). However, basing on the three levels of leadership model, a genuine leadership presence emanates from seven aspects that include inner peace of mind and fulfillment, personal power, high and real self-esteem, desire to grow through learning, intuition, depiction of a sense of purpose and ability to stay in the present.

Theories Incorporated into the Model

The three levels of leadership theory incorporate several theories. It borrows some ideas from these theories in order to come up with its full premise. For instance, the three level of leadership model borrows from the five practices of exemplary leadership model that avails five facets, which contribute to great leadership. These elements include inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, facilitating others to act, modelling the way, and encouraging the heart. From a closer look at the three levels of leadership model, it has borrowed from the aforementioned leadership model issues of personal motivation and motivating others to act. It also touches on modelling the way through its indication that personal leadership is a key for group’s success as it eliminates barriers associated with private and public leadership.

Another theory incorporated in the three levels of leadership theory includes the relationship theories also known as transformational theories (Cole, 2004). These theories focus on the relationship that results between a leader and the workers or followers. Same applies to the three levels of leadership model that asks leaders to form good attitude and relationship towards their followers. Notably, the three levels of leadership model borrows from relationship theories that advance for leaders to ensure that each individual completes his or her task despite the group been focussed on the collective goal (Lussier & Achua, 2009).

Theories not Incorporated into the Model

Several theories have not been incorporated into this leadership model. However, it is critical to mention that the three levels of leadership model works towards addressing them. These theories include functional theories, traits theory and situational/ contingency theories. Firstly, functional and contingency theories are not included into the model because they ignore leadership presence and people’s control of psychology. In addition, Gill (2012) affirms that situational/ contigency theory and functional theory assume that people can change behavior at will to suit situations, and leaders can adopt desired behaviors after training, which is not entirely true. Lastly, traits theory is not incoporated into the model because it advances that traits play a critical role in buiding developing of leaders, to which the three levels of leadership model does not subscribe. In addition, traits theory advances that leaders have certain traits, but it fails to capture the exact types of traits that leaders possess (Goleman, 2000).

In conclusion, various leadership models have been advanced in an attempt to motivate and guide leaders and those aspiring to get into leadership positions. However, not all the models and theories advanced have the complete requirements for making an effective leader. Some theories and models do not share what is widely accepted as the general truth regarding leaders. For instance, the traits theory states that leaders possess certain traits that not everyone has. This is not entirely true as people are not born leaders. Thus, the three levels of leadership model has been advanced as the best model for effective leadership. The model comprises of three levels that facilitate effective leadership such as personal, private, and public leadership. Personal leadership gives much credence to private and public leadership as it promotes peace, which is essential in handling other people and dealing with personal problems. Notably, some theories have been incorporated into this model and these include relationship and the five practices of exemplary leadership. At the same time, it is established that some theories have not been incorporated in the three models of leadership model although it has tried to cover up for their limititations. These include theories such as traits theory, situational/ contigency theory and functional theory. The elimination of these theories into the three levels of leadership model is proved by the fact that they do not recognize leadership presence. Besides, traits theory advances that leaders have certain traits, but it fails to capture the exact types of traits that leaders possess.