Leadership

5 Levels of Leadership: John Maxwell's Framework

John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership outlines a clear pathway for leadership development. 

I highly recommend this book as a leadership trainer, speaker, and business consultant. 

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the five levels that define the growth and impact of every leader and organization. I'll also share my personal insights into how you can leverage them in Filipino leadership. 

Level 1: Position

Leadership begins with a title or role. At this stage, people follow because they have to, not because they are inspired. 

From the name itself, leadership relies on their authority to direct and guide others. So people follow them because of their position —that of a supervisor, manager, or director. It creates structure but the most basic level of influence. 

Pro Tip: If you assess yourself in this position, you’ll have solid benchmark where to start. Determine ways to improve as a leader and better influence others.

Increase self-awareness and emotional intelligence. To be a great leader, you must understand that people follow you more than just the surface level—your job role. As soon as you understand it, you’ll grow into the next milestone of your leadership. 

Level 2: Permission

Leadership progresses when connections form. The keyword here is relationships. 

People follow because they want to. Trust and connection are key, as leaders earn influence by genuinely valuing others and fostering a positive team environment.

When your team members permit you to enter their professional lives, allowing you to serve as their mentor, coach, or advisor, it becomes easier to work with them and adjust to their working styles.

Have you noticed any bosses or managers who are always being left behind by their team, as if the team doesn’t want their boss around all the time? That speaks truthfully for leadership who are not in the second level—permission. 

Permission allows you to get closer to your team. Given that high-performing teams require both results and relationships, it’s critically important to build professional connections with your team so you can get to know them better. 

Pro Tip: Invest time in knowing your people. Learn the five languages of appreciation (framework by Gary Chapman) to identify what makes your people tick. From there, you can think of ways to connect with your people by valuing their work and them as human beings. 

Level 3: Production

Results define this level. 

People follow because the leader achieves tangible outcomes. 

At this stage, leaders focus on team performance, driving productivity, and leading by example to inspire commitment and results.

Given that you’re a solid contributor to the team, organization, and even to your upper leaders, people see that you’re setting an example for them to work hard and smart to get the results. 

At this leadership level, you help people produce the same or higher output so that the organization will be rewarded for your efforts. 

Pro Tip: Learn how to transfer skills to your people through coaching and mentoring programs. Strategize how you can teach your team (not based on how you understand it), but more on how your team can learn from the knowledge and skills you’d like to transfer to them. 

If you can identify gaps through training needs analysis, you’ll have a better understanding of the learning path and be able to execute coaching well enough, given that it comprises 70% of the 70-20-10 model in learning and development. 

People learn much more in their jobs than they can acquire from formal training programs. 

Level 4: People Development

Actual growth happens here. People follow because the leader invests in them. 

This involves mentoring, coaching, and empowering others to become leaders themselves. At this level, leaders build a legacy by multiplying their impact.

People development is what leaders should aim for. More than the results you and your team produce, you’re much more concerned about how you can develop your team members. 

In today’s work environment, the new workforce - Generation Z, is leaning towards personal and professional development. As they see themselves growing in the organization, it becomes a good reason for them to stay longer. 

Pro Tip: Include people development in informal (casual) and formal interactions with your subordinates. As the team learns more about their daily work, you can advise, give feedback, or transfer knowledge. 

As a consultant and corporate trainer, I challenge my participants to reach this level, as this is where true success starts. When they continuously develop themselves, the team will be more ready to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the market. 

Level 5: Pinnacle

The highest level of leadership is earned through sustained excellence and integrity. 

The reality is that it takes a long time for people to respect you as a leader. People follow you because of your values.

By seeing you as a great example of character and success, they would want to rally with you to achieve your professional goals and the goals of the organization. They’re no longer working just for the sake of earning money but for the true mission you carry as a leader.

Achieving the pinnacle is rare for corporate organizations, as most top leaders consider results to be their ultimate career goal.

However, genuinely successful leaders want to leave a legacy by developing their people and seeing them become better leaders in the future. Through servant leadership and other leadership types, they continuously invest in them, even sacrificing for them. They make the best efforts to see others grow through their example. 

Pro Tip: Live by values and live a life of character and integrity. Pursue character development over anything else. Be true to yourself, as authenticity matters to being a pinnacle leader. 

How to Move From One Leadership Level To The Next? 

This framework provides clarity for leaders at any stage. Knowing how to level up from your current level helps you achieve your professional and personal goals. 

1. Recognize your current leadership level. 

Be self-aware. Check your current leadership level and be honest with yourself so you can create leadership objectives as soon as possible.

Without self-awareness and honesty, you won’t deal with the challenges accompanying your current leadership level.

If you’re at level 1 - position, start connecting with your people. If you’re at 2, be a person of results, not just as an individual contributor but as a holistic contributor to your team and organization. If you’re at level 3, learn to develop others through coaching and mentoring. If you’re at level 4, stick to your values and walk through it. 

2. Take actionable steps to grow. 

Develop yourself. Read books, attend seminars, and participate in in-house training programs that include soft skills training such as problem solving and decision-making, critical thinking, leadership communication, and management. 

Do not rely solely on your organization's training. Learn to invest your hard-earned money to further improve your knowledge and skills. 

As you grow, you’ll see yourself moving from one leadership level to the next. 

3. Become a person of influence. 

A person of influence doesn’t need to manipulate others through words or actions. Because of their character and personality, they can move others to take action. 

Learn body language and how it affects when connecting to others. As you improve your body language, you’ll see yourself effortlessly persuading others to do your favor. 

4. Produce results and inspire others. 

Make work efficient and effective. Produce the desired output to improve most of your work. By doing so, you’ll be seen as an asset by your company and someone worthy of investing in. 

Inspire others to do the same so your team members can achieve what you have achieved (and even more). Leaders cannot motivate others. They can only inspire others to be self-motivated.

Professionals have self-motivation; you just need to tap it to give them the push they need to create fantastic work. 

5. Develop future leaders and create lasting impact. 

Your goal is not to do all the work all the time. Your role as a leader is to delegate tasks and decisions so others feel empowered to do their own work.

Through autonomy and trust, you can produce leaders from being just followers. From here, you can create lasting impact-producing leaders who can also grow others. 

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by Venchito Tampon

Why Leadership Training Fails And What To Do About It

One of our Rainmakers training clients approached us recently and told me that they’ve invested a lot of money in previous training but have never seen its effectiveness on their employees.

It’s a sad reality I’ve seen in many companies. Yet, many continue doing leadership training, whether in-house or outsourced, without evaluating if the exact training impacts results. 

In this post, we’ll examine why leadership training fails and what to do about it (and what you should avoid) so you can maximize the training investment. 

Common Reasons Leadership Training Fails

1. Lack of Clear Objectives

Many training programs, including topics on leadership and management, start without clear objectives. As common sense as it sounds, HR teams hire outsourced training providers without first understanding their employees' needs.

They would consider hiring a leadership trainer, but the reality is that the root cause analysis of their needs went beyond just leadership—examples would be a lack of performance management systems or conflicts rampant among team members that can’t be easily solved by just doing leadership training. 

Without specific goals, leadership training lacks focus. Therefore, it is difficult to measure success. 

2. Generic Training Content

Leadership programs often use one-size-fits-all content. This is rampant in many public seminars, given the variety of participants.

However, as soon as they conduct in-house programs for their companies, few companies customize their leadership training to address the language, context, behavior, and existing challenges of their participants, making the training irrelevant and ineffective. 

3. Lack of Support or Buy-in from the Management Team

Training programs sometimes need more buy-in from senior leaders or top management. Without visible support, participants may not take the training seriously. As we know, leaders must model the behaviors of learning, unlearning, and relearning in today’s agile environment.

You can have the best corporate trainer or facilitator. Still, without full support from top management to invest in leadership training, it wouldn’t even start taking action on any available plans. 

4. No Follow-Up After Training

Leadership training often ends without follow-up or reinforcement. If it’s not designed specifically to elevate participants' skills and knowledge, it becomes a one-time event.

At most, 10 to 30% can only be retained in someone’s mind. You wouldn't see measurable impact without even applying it and following through.

If you’re not intentional in leadership training, participants will return to their routines, and new skills may be forgotten. Without practice, coaching, and feedback, training benefits fade quickly. 

5. Ignoring Organizational Culture

Training programs may clash with the company’s culture. For example, training that emphasizes collaboration might not succeed if the organization values hierarchy. 

Participants may feel disconnected from the training content and sometimes view it as an additional activity rather than a means to improve the leadership team. 

If this happens, you will see high resistance to learning in training, which could affect the entire learning experience. 

6. Poor Trainer Selection

The quality of the trainer can make or break a leadership program. 

Trainers who need more expertise or connect with participants can reduce engagement and learning. By understanding their participants' context, trainers offer templated and generic content that people in the room find irrelevant and disconnected from their daily work.

Be selective when hiring a corporate training provider. Find a company with a proven track record of providing effective corporate training programs that drive business impact to organizations.  

7. Focusing Solely on Theoretical Knowledge

Some training programs emphasize theory without providing practical application. Participants need help to connect concepts to real-world scenarios, limiting their ability to apply what they learn.

This is where training design comes in. The trainer or outsourced facilitator must know how to design training to include activities and workshops that can attend to different learning styles of participants. Given that not all learners are purely listening to every content, some would need to have kinesthetic or visual activities to grasp the lessons better. 

8. Overloading Participants with Information

Cramming too much content into a short timeframe can overwhelm participants, making it difficult for them to retain information and implement it effectively.

You can’t expect your participants to retain all that information, so better yet, be observant and structure the training to be more learner-centric, allowing participants to digest the content. 

You need to properly design the training and possibly recommend an extended duration, such as a two-day program for leadership training, for instance, to allow more facilitating of group discussions and case studies. 

9. Failure to Measure Results

Many companies need to assess the impact of their leadership training. Without data, it’s impossible to determine whether the training achieved its goals.

A training evaluation method must be used for every leadership training. This ensures that each participant will get critical takeaways and practical lessons from the training, measuring the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to acquire from the program. 

How to Make Leadership Training Effective and Successful

This should be the next question after knowing why leadership training fails. After all, if some programs don’t exceed certain expectations, it’s better to avoid them at all costs and ensure you’re getting the most value out of each leadership training program.

Here’s how to make leadership training effective and successful. 

1. Identify Specific Training Needs

Conduct a thorough assessment to identify gaps in leadership skills. 

Set clear and measurable objectives before starting any training program (or training implementation). 

It should all start with a training needs analysis. Training needs analysis identifies the performance gaps of each individual, team, or department to ensure employees possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude after the training has been conducted.  

Are they lacking in certain skills like leadership communication, strategic thinking, culture building, influencing, or creating a high-performance team? 

Be more specific in your training goals. Instead of simply saying, “I want to improve the customer service skills of my participants”. You could do more research and create a training objective of, “I want to increase our CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) by 20% (from 69% to 89%).”

Using this approach, you can now measure the training effectiveness weeks or months after it has been given to your employees. 

2. Customize, Personalize, and Individualize

The best thing about conducting in-house training programs is the luxury of the trainer's customization, personalization, and individualization of the training design and delivery based on the context of the organization and individual participants.

Customizing content means addressing your organization's specific needs. This must include knowing the company’s mission, values, and core values so as to align your training delivery—the words and language you use—with their existing context. 

With customization, you include case studies, examples, and scenarios that reflect real challenges participants face, not any problem the industry faces. This makes the training relatable and actionable.

This is essential for leadership training as you’re talking to specific groups that will dictate the culture of their teams and organization. So, understanding where they’re coming from will help you and the participants connect to the message and make the training worthwhile for learning. 

3. Involve Participants in Design

Engage participants in designing the training. Conduct a focus group discussion with selected participants so you can ask questions related to their current challenges as a leader.

Ask as many questions as possible to identify needs, challenges, and expectations. This is one of the best ways to customize your leadership training, as you can deliver it in a way that speaks directly to the learners. 

After all, leadership training is not about you. It is about the experience of learners. 

4. Utilize the Power of Multimodal Training 

Today's new best practice for facilitators, trainers, and speakers is using multimode elements to engage participants. These include using online survey tools (e.g., Mentimeter), interactive workshops, role-playing, group discussions, and case studies to keep participants engaged throughout the training.

It also helps better retain knowledge and concepts. This is why a solid training program that includes breaks is necessary. 

Focus on a few critical topics per session. Use spaced learning techniques to break content into manageable parts over time. Allow participants to practice and reflect on what they learn before moving on.

5. Provide Continuous Learning Opportunities

Leadership development is an ongoing process. Establishing a follow-up plan for continuous learning helps build momentum and upskill and reskill to enhance the competencies of your leaders. 

To reinforce key concepts, schedule periodic check-ins, workshops, or coaching sessions. You may also offer access to resources like online courses, webinars, and mentorship programs. 

6. Integrate Training with Organizational Strategy

Link leadership training to the company’s strategic goals. 

Show participants how improving their leadership skills contributes to achieving these goals. You may include this as part of your introduction to the module to instill the compelling reason (“why”) for the leadership training.

This approach better frames the training as a necessary investment rather than just another activity to attend to. 

7. Foster a Culture of Learning

If you’re part of the HR and learning and development, encourage a growth mindset within your organization. 

Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate improved leadership skills. This reinforces the value of development. Reinforcement is critical for people to accept better and manage change as they embark on a new journey of growth and development. 

Be a Lifelong Learner-Leader

Leadership training fails when it lacks focus, relevance, and follow-up. To make training effective, companies must set clear objectives, customize content, and ensure ongoing support. 

Leadership development is not a one-time event but a continuous journey. With the right strategies, organizations can create programs that deliver lasting results.

By addressing these common pitfalls and implementing the solutions provided, companies can transform leadership training into a valuable tool for growth and success.

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by Venchito Tampon

What Are The Different Types Of Leadership In The Philippines?

Leadership styles are crucial in shaping families, organizations, communities, and corporate teams in the Philippines.

If you’re part of a team or a leader yourself, understanding these styles helps you clearly see how Filipino leaders inspire their people in various settings.

Let’s explore the different types of leadership in the Philippines while providing clear examples and insights into their impact. 

1. Authoritative Leadership

Authoritative leadership is characterized by a clear command structure in which leaders set goals and provide direct instructions. This style of leadership is particularly common in the government, military, non-profit organizations, and traditional businesses. As the scope and demand of work are too high, leaders need to use authority to further control the situation. 

Leaders under this style maintain control over decisions and expect followers to comply with little input. 

The decision-making is centralized from top to bottom, and there’s little need for recommendations and suggestions from the frontline staff. 

As for the people they’re leading, you could observe high expectations for discipline. Team members must adhere to the rules and regulations of the team and organization, allowing less time and resources for slack output. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Authoritative leadership is effective in environments requiring quick decision-making and strict compliance, such as disaster response teams or manufacturing sectors. However, if overused, it may limit creativity and innovation.

2. Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership encompasses the majority of leadership know-how, as the Philippines is a democratic country. 

Leaders with democratic leadership actively involve their team members in decision-making processes, valuing their input and ideas. It fosters a sense of ownership and accountability among employees or community members. 

This approach empowers subordinates to make their own decisions, think of new ways to improve processes and level up themselves to achieve progress and success for the organization.

You’ll find open communication, shared problem-solving and decision-making, and genuine encouragement of feedback (promoting what we call “psychological safety”). 

Impact in the Philippines:

This style is evident in Filipino workplaces and organizations with flat hierarchies and inclusive cultures. Start-ups and NGOs often adopt this style to build cohesive teams and generate innovative ideas.

3. Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their teams by focusing on shared goals and vision. 

During strategic planning and goal-setting exercises, transformational leadership is reflected in the facilitator, who is involved in facilitating the trainer and the management team involved in the major strategic roles and execution. 

Transformational leadership aims to drive positive change through encouragement and personal leadership. This leadership style relies on a leader’s emotional connection with their team. With higher emotional intelligence, leaders can address concerns objectively and with greater sensitivity to their team members' feelings and emotions.

Relationships have become more transformational than mere transactional at work. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Transformational leadership is prevalent in educational institutions, religious organizations, and community development programs. For instance, Filipino pastors and community organizers often use this approach to unify and uplift their followers.

4. Servant Leadership

Servant leadership prioritizes the needs of the team or community over the leader’s personal ambitions. It is a selfless act rooted in humility, empathy, and the willingness to serve others. 

While it’s not always apparent in many situations, servant leadership is primarily found in the private sector—corporations and small- to medium-sized enterprises.

Servant leaders who are in charge create an atmosphere where no one is higher above themselves than anyone else. Everyone must serve others, whether it is their internal customers (stakeholders) or external customers/clients who bring money and profit to the organization. 

Leaders ensure their team’s well-being and empower them to reach their full potential. Through service, leaders can act and lead by example. They don’t simply say what they want; they act on it, modeling the right behavior and attitude visible to their teams. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Servant leadership resonates strongly with Filipino cultural values, such as bayanihan (community spirit) and pakikipagkapwa (relationship-building). It is often seen in family-run businesses and grassroots initiatives, where leaders genuinely care about their people’s welfare.

5. Laissez-Faire Leadership

Laissez-faire leadership allows team members to work with minimal interference from their leader. Leaders under this style trust their team’s expertise and give them autonomy in completing tasks. This approach is ideal for highly skilled and self-motivated teams.

In leading the younger workforce today (Gen Z), leaders who practice laissez-faire leadership put themselves at an advantage by releasing freedom and flexibility to their younger subordinates. 

It creates an atmosphere of trust and empowerment, where each team member participates in the decision-making process. They also delegate in a way that empowers, not controls, which helps the team move forward in the right direction. 

Impact in the Philippines: 

In the Philippine context, laissez-faire leadership is less common due to the preference for hands-on guidance. However, it can be effective in creative industries such as advertising, where teams thrive on independence and innovation.

Given the lack of discipline commonly seen in Filipinos, some leaders don’t practice laissez-faire leadership but resort to other leadership styles mentioned in this guide. 

6. Transactional Leadership

Transactional leadership focuses on structured roles and clear expectations. Leaders motivate their teams using rewards and punishments to ensure compliance with established goals. 

This results-oriented style works well in environments where measurable outcomes are prioritized.

With transactional leadership, you’ll expect clear performance expectations, reward and penalty systems, and short-term goal orientation.

Impact in the Philippines:

Transactional leadership is widely practiced in corporate settings, sales teams, and front-line staff. Filipino managers in these environments often set quotas and incentivize employees with performance-based bonuses.

7. Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leaders rely on their personality and charm to influence others. They inspire loyalty and enthusiasm by connecting with people on an emotional level. This leadership style often thrives in times of change or uncertainty.

This type of leadership is usually visible in politics, where most politicians are celebrities and famous personalities on social media. Relying on charisma as a determining factor of leadership is mostly being considered by many Filipinos.

Charismatic leadership involves strong personal leadership, an emotional connection with followers, and the ability to provide a vision and inspire confidence in the crowd. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Charismatic leadership is evident in Filipino politics, where leaders often win support through charm and relatability. It is also prevalent in the entertainment industry, with artists and influencers inspiring large audiences.

8. Situational Leadership

Situational leadership adapts to the needs of the moment. Leaders assess the situation and choose the most effective style to guide their team. This flexibility makes situational leadership highly practical in dynamic environments.

The framework that popularized this, Ken Blanchard, Situational Leadership, covers the four situational leadership styles: delegating, supporting, coaching, and directing. 

As the name suggests, leadership style depends on the situation and current context of the mentee or coachee you lead. It requires greater flexibility on the part of the leader to ensure he or she can assess the situation and respond to the daily challenges they encounter as a team. 

Impact in the Philippines:

This approach is common among Filipino entrepreneurs and project managers who handle diverse teams or unpredictable challenges. Adapting leadership styles helps them manage varying circumstances effectively.

9. Paternalistic Leadership

Paternalistic leadership mirrors familial relationships. Leaders act as parental figures, offering guidance, protection, and support. 

In return, they expect loyalty and respect from their team. This leadership style aligns closely with Filipino cultural values. 

Given our family values, you’ll see paternalistic leadership even translated to corporate settings, where subordinates see their bosses as father figures who show care, guidance, and protective leadership. 

It also has some disadvantages. At some point, leaders with this leadership approach have the difficulty of coaching their team, giving constructive feedback, and reprimanding for mistakes only as needed. As they care more about the feelings rather than the actual output, this hinders them from achieving the desired goals of the team. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Filipino leaders in small businesses or family-owned companies often adopt this style. Employees value the sense of belonging and support it provides, fostering long-term loyalty and dedication.

10. Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership emphasizes structure, rules, and policies. Leaders focus on ensuring processes are followed to achieve consistency and fairness. This style is often necessary in large organizations and government institutions.

This is almost similar to authoritative and transactional leadership, where the leaders must instill strictness and leadership so the team can focus on their work and create momentum out of consistent wins and individual successes. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Bureaucratic leadership is common in Philippine government offices and regulatory bodies. It ensures that decisions are made systematically and resources are managed responsibly.

11. Autocratic Leadership

Autocratic leadership centralizes all power and decision-making in the leader’s hands. Team members have limited input and are expected to follow orders without question. 

While it can seem rigid, this style is effective in high-stakes or crisis situations. Leaders must sometimes know how to be autocratic to solve problems and effectively communicate their concerns and challenges so the team can navigate tough times. 

Impact in the Philippines:

Autocratic leadership is often seen in traditional workplaces and emergency response settings. For example, Filipino leaders managing natural disaster relief efforts use this style to ensure fast and coordinated action.

12. Empathetic Leadership

Empathetic leadership focuses on understanding and addressing the emotions and needs of the team. Leaders who show genuine care and concern for their people build strong relationships.

We Filipinos are empathetic (also known as “pusong mamon”). We know the basic elements of empathy, such as active listening, emotional intelligence, and genuine focus on the well-being of the people we lead.

This is essential in driving high performance as we strengthen our professional relationships with our colleagues. 

Impact in the Philippines:

This style aligns with the Filipino malasakit (compassion) culture. Leaders in healthcare and education often adopt this approach to connect with their teams and build trust.

Different Strokes For Different Folks

The leadership styles in the Philippines reflect the country’s rich cultural values, diverse industries, and unique challenges. While some styles emphasize structure and control, others focus on collaboration, inspiration, or service. 

Influential leaders often blend these approaches to suit their teams and circumstances, ensuring they achieve their goals while fostering trust and unity.

Understanding these leadership types provides valuable insights into the dynamics of Filipino workplaces and communities. 

Leaders can inspire positive change and achieve meaningful outcomes by choosing the right approach. 

If you’re looking for comprehensive leadership and management training, send your training needs using our contact form, and we’ll schedule a TNA session with your team. 

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by Venchito Tampon

Empowering Leadership: Strategies to Inspire and Motivate Teams

Empowering leadership is about enabling individuals to perform their best while fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and capable. 

You can have the most skilled direct reports, but without empowerment, trust-building, growth, and innovation wouldn't happen in your organization.

Leaders who empower their teams focus on clear communication, shared goals, and continuous development. 

What is Empowering Leadership?

Empowering leadership involves giving team members the tools, resources, and authority they need to succeed. 

It means trusting employees to make decisions and supporting them as they take ownership of their tasks. It is about creating an atmosphere of confidence and motivation. It is more ideal than it is written, but when there is empowerment in leadership, it assists people in doing the best they can (their fullest potential), which drives their individual and team performance. 

At its core, empowering leadership shifts the focus from command and control to collaboration and shared accountability. Leaders encourage their teams to take initiative, learn from mistakes, and build on their strengths.

Benefits of Empowering Leadership

Empowering leadership has several positive outcomes for individuals and organizations:

Increased Employee Engagement

Empowered employees feel a sense of ownership in their work. They are more likely to stay motivated and invested in achieving goals. 

You may have seen someone engaged at work, and when asked if they enjoy what they do, you’ll notice in their body language how true their answers are. That’s how empowerment can affect employee engagement.

Better Decision-Making

By delegating authority, leaders enable their teams to make timely decisions through team training. This reduces delays and improves problem-solving.

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen among leaders in many organizations as we conduct leadership training programs is the lack of autonomy for most of their subordinates. 

As they lead people, leaders tend to micromanage every task (down to every detail), which negatively affects how subordinates perceive their work and their boss’ leadership.

Empowering leadership helps the leaders make decisions for the team and enables their subordinates to solve problems and make decisions on their own.

Stronger Team Relationships

Empowerment fosters collaboration. Teams that work together and support each other are more productive and cohesive.

It helps build trust that high-performing teams have in common (based on several studies). Relationships that almost become sour tend to reconnect for the purpose of teamwork and the organization's goals. It may not be as magic as many speakers would say, but I believe that empowerment can strengthen any professional relationship if used as leverage. 

Higher Innovation Levels

When employees feel valued, they are more likely to contribute creative ideas. Creativity comes from having a safe space for innovation.

We’ve tested this in SharpRocket, Rainmakers, and Hills and Valleys Cafe companies. What I’ve found to be a contributing factor to innovation is allowing your team members to make decisions for themselves.

Without constraints at a certain point, people can think of new ideas and insights to improve processes and make their work more efficient and effective. Ideas usually get kicked out when a boss only wants to give up his opinions.

With empowering leadership, you won’t see that happening, as leaders value their subordinates’ opinions and bring their next-level ideas to the table. 

Improved Organizational Performance

When all points covered above were affected by empowering leadership, organizations would eventually get better overall results. 

Of course, that won’t happen in an instant, but as the team continues to innovate, strengthen relationships, and produce results that contribute to achieving the organization's goals, you can expect improvements in organizational performance as well.

Empowered teams deliver quality work and adapt quickly to challenges.

Key Traits of an Empowering Leader

Leaders who empower their teams share several key traits. These traits help them build trust, inspire confidence, and drive success:

Clear Communication

Empowering leaders communicate goals and expectations clearly - learn about 5 functions of communication. They ensure that team members understand their roles and responsibilities.

Being clear about what you want and how to achieve it gives a solid message to your team. Subordinates follow their managers and supervisors not only because of their actions but also because of every word they speak (which corresponds to their daily actions). Effective communication is a crucial area we teach in our management training programs. Without this core skill, leaders won’t be able to empower their teams. 

Trust in Team Members

Leaders who empower their teams trust employees to handle tasks independently. This trust builds confidence and loyalty.

Leaders have different views on trust-building. Some see it as a weakness that others can manipulate to their own interests. Others see trust as a glue that binds teams.

My strong belief is that leaders can only empower their teams if they first trust their team members. Then, they would be able to delegate tasks and decisions that matter to personal and organizational goals. 

Encouragement of Growth

Empowering leaders invest in their team development. They provide training, mentorship, and opportunities for skill-building. 

For instance, I’ve seen some of our clients (HR and Learning and Development personnel) ask or receive requests from senior leaders to look for and hire corporate training providers to conduct leadership training and other soft skills programs, such as problem-solving and decision-making, sales and marketing, presentation skills, critical thinking, strategic thinking, and many more. 

This shows how necessary training is for these leaders. They don’t just speak about it, they take action to level up their team members. 

Adaptability

Empowering leaders adjust their approach to meet the needs of their teams. They are flexible and open to feedback.

In today’s knowledge world, cognitive flexibility is a critical skill for any leader who faces different work challenges. The ability to look around, find patterns, and implement solutions becomes a crucial part of their leadership. 

Recognition of Contributions

These leaders celebrate achievements and acknowledge hard work. Recognition boosts morale and motivates employees to excel.

Leaders must decide when and what to celebrate with their teams. A rewards system (not always monetary) helps the team achieve quick wins and create the momentum they need to excel further in their work. 

Strategies to Implement Empowering Leadership

Adopting an empowering leadership style requires intentional actions. Below are practical strategies to help leaders empower their teams:

1. Delegate Effectively

Assign tasks and decisions based on each team member’s strengths and skills. Provide the necessary resources and clear instructions. 

Trust employees to complete their tasks without constant oversight.

Step back and see what your team can do. As mentioned earlier, delegation requires trust, which would define whether or not you truly delegate. 

2. Encourage Open Communication

Create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. 

Actively listen to feedback and address issues promptly. Do not be too emotional when receiving feedback, as it can get in the way of making decisions. Be objective as much as possible and learn from your subordinates’ successes and mistakes.

Given that they’re involved in their technical work daily, they face common challenges for which they may formulate solutions based on their actual experience. 

3. Provide Development Opportunities

Offer training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities. 

Help employees acquire new skills that align with their goals and the organization’s needs. Leaders learn, unlearn, and relearn (as I always say in my seminars). Leaders who don’t pursue active and passive learning will be irrelevant and obsolete in the coming years.

However, leaders who strive for excellence and, over time, become more curious to learn new things will always sustain their success. 

4. Set Clear Goals

Define specific, measurable, and achievable goals. 

Ensure team members understand how their work contributes to the organization’s success.

Break down goals into meaningful tasks so your team members can achieve quick wins and create momentum for themselves. 

5. Recognize Achievements

Acknowledge individual and team successes. 

Celebrate milestones and express gratitude for their efforts.

6. Foster a Positive Work Environment

Promote a culture of respect and collaboration. Address conflicts constructively and maintain a supportive atmosphere.

7. Encourage Risk-Taking

Allow employees to experiment and take calculated risks. Let them learn from mistakes without fear of criticism.

Steps to Transition to Empowering Leadership

Transitioning to empowering leadership involves a shift in mindset and behavior. Leaders can follow these steps to make the change:

1. Assess Current Leadership Style

Identify areas where the current approach lacks empowerment. Pinpoint opportunities for improvement. Ask yourself, are there any areas where I need to trust more of my subordinates? And learn to step back so they can step up and make decisions.

2. Develop Trust

Build trust by being transparent and reliable. Demonstrate confidence in your team’s abilities.

3. Encourage Participation

Involve employees in decision-making processes. Seek their input and value their contributions.

4. Set the Example

Model the behavior you want to see in your team. Show respect, accountability, and a willingness to learn.

5. Provide Consistent Feedback

Offer constructive feedback to guide employees while encouraging their growth.

6. Monitor Progress

Track the effectiveness of empowerment strategies. Use employee surveys and performance metrics to identify areas for improvement.

The Future of Empowering Leadership

As workplaces evolve, empowering leadership will play an increasingly important role. Organizations prioritizing empowerment will be better equipped to adapt to challenges and seize opportunities. Empowered teams are resilient, creative, and committed to success.

In summary, empowering leadership fosters trust, encourages growth, and creates a supportive environment. Leaders who adopt this approach can inspire their teams to achieve remarkable outcomes. By focusing on empowerment, leaders enhance individual performance and drive organizational success.

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by Venchito Tampon

What is Leadership To You?

Leadership, to me, is about change and movement. 

That’s just me. Others have their definitions and points of view about leadership. 

Leadership is often one of the most discussed topics, yet different schools of thought exist on what it is about. 

Truthfully, the concept and definition of leadership are based on the author’s or person’s point of view, based on his experience, expertise, and observation of others' ways of leadership. In our leadership training, we teach different views and principles of leadership, which we will explore today.

What is Leadership To You?

Leadership is Influence

Dr. John Maxwell, one of the foremost authorities on leadership, once said, "Leadership is influence." 

Maxwell’s assertion that “leadership is influence” is a foundation for understanding how leaders create change and movement. Influence is the ability to impact the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of others. 

Influence isn’t about wielding the power of authority. Instead, it’s about earning trust, consulting others for insights, demonstrating integrity, and inspiring others to believe in your vision. They don’t display any manipulative actions such as power tripping.

Before you ask for a hand, you first touch the heart—another famous saying from the leadership guru Maxwell. 

In his book Five Levels of Leadership, he created a framework for moving from a position-level of leadership to achieving a pinnacle-level of leadership, where a leader is followed by people because of who he is and what he represents.

More than a person’s level of competence and results he achieved for the organization, a great leader, based on Maxwell’s school of thought, is someone who has done great development for the people they lead

One of the classic examples of leaders who gained respect in his organization is Steve Jobs. Jobs didn’t just tell his team what to do; he inspired them to think differently and believe in the impossible. His influence was rooted in his passion, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence. 

Pro Tip: Build and strengthen relationships with direct reports so you can connect from the heart and inspire them to do their best work. 

Leadership as Change

As I mentioned earlier, I believe leadership is about driving change. Great leaders recognize that the status quo is never enough; there’s always room for growth, improvement, and innovation. 

They have a vision of what could be and work to transform it into reality. This vision-driven change isn’t about making arbitrary shifts; it’s about creating meaningful and sustainable progress. 

Leaders like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. epitomize change-driven leadership. They didn't just talk about what needed to change—they lived, breathed, and inspired others to do the same. 

For instance, Mandela’s leadership was about dismantling apartheid, Gandhi’s leadership focused on independence through non-violence, and King’s leadership championed civil rights and equality. 

They showed that authentic leadership isn’t about maintaining the status quo; it’s about challenging norms and inspiring others to envision a different, often better future.

Pro Tip: Inspire change in your teams by turning the vision into reality.  

Leadership as Movement

Aside from reinforcing change, leadership is also about making a movement. It may sound like it’s only applicable to government and non-profit organizations, but creating and pursuing a movement also applies to leaders in the corporate world. The movement represents leaders' dynamic action to steer their teams, organizations, or communities toward a shared objective. It involves setting direction, making decisions, and taking steps that propel everyone forward. 

Leaders create momentum by turning ideas into actionable steps. They set the vision and build the pathway to achieving it, ensuring everyone is moving in the same direction.

Leadership is a Journey

For many, leadership is a journey. It involves change, movement, influence, and the ability to serve others. It requires vision, emotional intelligence, integrity, and authenticity. 

Consider Elon Musk's example. His leadership isn’t just about dreaming of electric cars or exploring Mars; it’s about mobilizing vast teams of people, resources, and technology to make these seemingly impossible goals a reality. 

Musk creates movement, which turns his vision into a tangible, step-by-step journey. This illustrates that leadership is more than having ideas—it’s about generating the energy, enthusiasm, and coordinated action needed to turn those ideas into a reality.

Pro Tip: Love the process as much as you love creating results for your team and organization. By loving the process, you will grow and improve your competence and character as you lead your teams. 

Leadership as Service

This may be the last on this list, but it is the most widely known concept of leadership.

Leadership is service. Servant leadership is meeting people's needs and helping them grow. Servant leaders prioritize their team members' well-being, development, and empowerment. They lead by example, demonstrating humility, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.

Leaders like Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi embodied servant leadership. Their leadership wasn’t about authority or personal gain but about uplifting others and positively impacting them. By putting the needs of others first, they built trust and inspired countless individuals to follow their lead.

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by Venchito Tampon

Personal Leadership: Cultivating Integrity, Vision, and Self-Awareness

Personal leadership is not about holding a title or position over others—it's about leading by example, living out your values, and inspiring others through your actions.

It is leading people based on calling, character, and competence. Without these, leading oneself effectively, let alone influencing others, is impossible. 

In our leadership training, we refer to personal leadership as the Modeling of Leadership. Teams can only perform at the highest level when leaders display the right behaviors, values, and work ethic they expect from others. 

This guide will explore essential qualities of personal leadership and how you can embody them in your daily personal and professional lives. 

Personal Leadership Qualities

1. Integrity

Integrity is the cornerstone of personal leadership. There are several schools of thought on integrity. Some teach that integrity simply means honesty. Others describe it as accountability. But integrity, based on its original context, refers to wholeness (from the term “integer”). 

A person of integrity can gain the trust and respect of those around him or her as he or she aligns all actions with the wholeness of his or her character. Integrity refers to aligning words with actions. You must talk the talk and walk the walk. 

Commit to your promises and be consistent with your actions. Increase the power of accountability in your leadership by owning the mistakes you’re accountable for and learning from them. 

Strengthen integrity by always doing the right, even when difficult or inconvenient. 

2. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand, manage, and navigate one's own emotions and those of others. It is one of the essential qualities for personal leadership, given that it fosters empathy, effective communication, and the ability to handle stress and challenges gracefully under pressure. 

Start developing emotional intelligence by recognizing your emotions and how they affect your behavior. Being self-aware of your current triggers for emotional stress can help you reduce the chances of negatively affecting your team members when you speak. 

Control impulsive feelings and behaviors by regulating yourself. Assess your emotional health every week to see specific areas for improvement.

Empathize with your direct reports as they face and overcome life challenges. Be an active listener as they share their struggles, even in their personal life, as you’d better understand where they’re coming from. 

Create a healthy support group where others can help you grow and give you the opportunity to serve others. This will help you see blindspots you can change or improve and gain feedback and insights from others who know you well. 

Develop a stress management coping mechanism by balancing demands and abilities. If possible, decrease demand. If not, increase your abilities to handle the needs of your life—this includes task management, problem-solving and decision-making, planning, and communication.

3. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking and strategic thinking are two essential skills of modern-day leadership. The first type of thinking involves analyzing situations, learning to filter insights and information based on your current context, and making informed decisions.

Involve yourself in strategic planning sessions to get a bigger picture of your organization (not only your teams). During this session, you can ask questions related to your leadership and brainstorm ideas to propel your team training to high performance.

Reflect on different perspectives by leveraging diversity and inclusion in your teams. Before making decisions, ask your direct reports for their insights, especially if you are leading direct reports. 

Analyze the consequences of your actions, but be firm when making decisions. No one wants to follow an indecisive leader. 

4. Resourcefulness 

Resourcefulness is the ability to maximize current resources (time, attention, energy, talent) to the fullest so that one can achieve one's individual or organizational goals. 

Personal leadership is being solution-oriented and knowing how to find innovative ways to navigate them. 

Cultivate a mindset of possibility within your team. Let their suggestions become a reality (consultative leadership) by trying things out—particularly the ones with valid reasons and supported by data. 

Be willing to adapt and change your approach when faced with setbacks. Flexibility aligned with resourcefulness could help your teams achieve greater performance and new heights not previously possible. 

5. Values and Ethics 

Values and ethics serve as your internal compass, guiding your decisions and actions. A strong sense of personal values helps you remain true to yourself and focus on what matters most. 

Ethical leaders are not swayed by external pressures or short-term gains but are guided by principles that align with their beliefs. 

Identify your core values. You can invest in a values and mission workshop from a reputable corporate training provider to help you identify your core values. 

When you lead with a strong ethical foundation, you create a positive impact on those around you and foster an environment of trust and mutual respect. 

6. Vision

A clear vision gives you a sense of direction and purpose. Personal leadership requires a solid vision to lead your team in the right direction of performance and character-building. 

Vision casting is about setting goals, developing a plan, and staying committed to your journey, even when the path becomes difficult. Commitment to the goals despite the daily challenges is what makes vision enable good leaders to perform. 

Vision also inspires others to work towards a common goal. Without a vision, people don’t feel the passion for the team, cast off restraint, leading to confusion, poor performance, and lack of growth. 

7. Self-Awareness 

Self-awareness also strengthens personal leadership. Self-aware leaders are more in tune with their thoughts and behaviors, allowing them to make conscious decisions that align with their values.

Here are some pro tips to increase self-awareness:

• Let others speak to your career and life. Surround yourself with growing and trusted people. Allow others to suggest, advise, and give you feedback you need to improve your work. 
• Reflect on your professional journey (intrapersonal communication) by setting time to meditate once a day. Write down things you’re grateful for as a leader and things you want to accomplish for the day. By setting things right at the start of the day, you’ll have a strong start, giving you inspiration and energy to accomplish great things for your team. 

The Role of Personal Leadership in Daily Life

Personal leadership extends beyond the workplace. It’s about leading yourself in all aspects of life, whether interacting with family, friends, or colleagues. Here’s how you can incorporate personal leadership into your daily routine:

• Lead by example: Be a role model in your actions, whether maintaining a positive attitude, demonstrating empathy, or showing perseverance in difficult times. Develop your character at home to live out the correct values when working. 
• Set personal goals: Take time to identify areas for growth and create actionable plans to achieve them. Define specific goals, and let your habits and actions take you where you want to go. 
• Cultivate healthy habits: Practice self-discipline in time management, self-care, and continuous learning. Habits with consistent discipline bring you to the success you dream of as a leader. In every spotlight of success, there is a process, and that includes cultivating leadership habits. 

Personal leadership involves taking responsibility for your life, actions, and choices. How you see challenges and own them will affect your performance as a leader. 

Leadership is a journey that requires dedication, self-reflection, and a commitment to personal growth. By embodying qualities such as integrity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, resourcefulness, values and ethics, vision, and self-awareness, you become a leader who influences others and inspires them to reach their full potential.

As I always say in my leadership training, “Leadership starts with you, but never about you.”  It’s the way you show up, the example you set, and the values you live by daily. By mastering these qualities, you can lead yourself more effectively and positively impact the lives of those around you.

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by Venchito Tampon