The Leader and the Led encounter a wide diversity of ‘Issues’ – sometimes on a daily basis. This morning I am inviting us to briefly explore not issues but ‘Levels.’ My current thinking is that there are ‘Five Leadership Levels’ that the Leader and the Led encounter.
Level One Issues are issues that can be resolved via physical and/or social maneuvers. These issues exist; they do not constitute the majority of the issues although too many Level Two to Level Five Issues are misinterpreted as Level One Issues and are therefore addressed as Level One Issues. A major hint that the Issue is not a Level One Issue is that no matter what the physical or social maneuver is employed the Issue is not resolved. Here is a simple example: Every day Fred comes to work 30 minutes late. You suggest to Fred that he sets his alarm clock 30 minutes earlier. Fred responds: ‘What is an alarm clock?’ You describe an alarm clock; Fred purchases one, sets it at a wake-up time that enables him to get to work on time. Fred uses his alarm clock and is never late for work again. A physical and social maneuver has been employed and the Issue has been resolved. As I noted earlier, Level One Issues exist and physical and/or social maneuvers do resolve them. However, these Issues do not constitute the majority of Issues that the Leader and the Led encounter – not even close.
How many billions of dollars have organizations – of all types and sizes – spent on Time Management, Conflict Resolution, Communication Skills, Team Building, Quality Improvement, Customer Service, and Stress Management (to name a few of the ‘training experiences’ purchased)? How many of these have not ‘resolved’ the corresponding Issues – too many, I think. Why? Because the Issue addressed was not a Level One Issue (almost all ‘training’ is a Level One response). More often than not the Issue is a combination of Level Two to Level Five Issues and until these are identified and addressed the Level One intervention will either not take or it will not be sustainable.
Twenty-five years ago I was invited to have a conversation with a Senior Vice-President of a large bank. He was frustrated. Ten months prior to our meeting the bank had spent nearly a million dollars on a Stress Management training initiative for his division and now, ten months later, the demonstrated stress level was just as high as it had been prior to the training. As we settled in he looked at me and asked: ‘Why?’ I shared with him my understanding of the Five Levels and why the Level One intervention did not ‘take’ or was not ‘sustainable.’ As we conversed it became clear to him that he had, indeed, approached the Issue as a Level One Issue and it was anything but – the Issue involved all Five Levels.
As we briefly explore the other Four Levels it might become clearer to you, gentle reader, why the bank’s Stress Management initiative did not take or was not sustainable. We will continue next time.
Searcher-Seeker 
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