In order to grasp context and hardiness, I have come to the conclusion that you need a mirror and a window.
Back in 2001, Jim Collins wrote a book called Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap. . . and Others Don’t, HarperBusiness, 2001. Two of the famous phrases from the book that we still hear today are “Good is the enemy of great” and “First who… then what.” The not so famous phrase is “Level 5 Leadership.”
As Collins wrote: “Level 5 leaders display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing and understated. In contrast, two thirds of the comparison companies had leaders with gargantuan personal egos that contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity of the company…. Level 5 leaders are fanatically driven, infected with an incurable need to produce sustained results. They are resolved to do whatever it takes to make the company great, no matter how big or hard the decisions.”
And then Collins wrote the following, powerful two sentences: “Level 5 leaders look out the window to attribute success to factors other than themselves. When things go poorly, however, they look in the mirror and blame themselves, taking full responsibility.”
For us gathered here today, let’s dive deeper into the concept of the mirror and the window. First, the mirror is to reflect on what I could have done better. No blaming other people, external factors, or bad luck. The goal is humble self improvement. The window, on the other hand, is to give credit for the success of the company to other people, external factors or good luck.
When I think of all the leaders I have met in my 30+ year career who would fall into the Level 5 Leadership category, I realize that these individual have people in their lives who are executive coaches, allies, and confidants. This network of people help them to look in the mirror and out the window on a routine basis.
Furthermore, these same Level 5 Leaders are always seeking to expand their network of people. As Hermina Ibarra wrote in her book, Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader (Harvard Business Review Press, 2015), effective leaders have operational, personal, and strategic networks. The first helps them to manage current internal responsibilities. The second boosts personal development, and the third focuses on new business directions and the stakeholders you must get on board to pursue these directions. In particular, a good strategic network can give a person a connective advantage: the ability to marshal information, support, or other resources from one of your networks to obtain results in another.
But here is where I think Collins grasps something unique. Some people use their networks to get some place, but from my experience I have observed that Level 5 Leaders are not solely destination focused. Yes, they want to “produce sustained results” but they know that the first step is to become a more disciplined person through disciplined thought and disciplined action. The work is as much internal as it is external.
As we know, there are four stages to adult learning: unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and finally unconscious competence. From my experience, Level 5 Leaders are constantly seeking in the mirror and through the window ways to not get caught in reactive, unconscious incompetence. They want to get better and they know that the only way to do it is with the help of others and ample time for deep self-reflection.
This week, build and maintain a network of people who will help you look into the mirror and out the window better. And at the exact same time, give yourself permission to schedule more time for reflection. Our challenges in the coming year will be bigger and we must have the courage and the capacity to conquer them and emerge stronger and more committed.
