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3. Level 3 -- Competent Manager: Organizes people and resources
toward efficient and effective pursuit of desired outcomes.
4. Level 4 -- Effective Leader: Catalyst for vigorous pursuit of vision,
and stimulates higher performance standards.

5. Level 5 -- Executive: This highest level of management in an
organization builds enduring greatness through an unusual blend of
personal humility and professional will. Their resolve is to do
whatever is needed to make the organization “great.”

Great vision without great people is irrelevant. Jim Collins

Levels 1 through 4 of Jim Collins’ hierarchy of leadership are found in
every organization that is more than one person. Project managers, for
example, fall into one or another of these levels. They often find, however,

that they are held responsible and accountable for the outcome of their
work, but may have very limited authority. That does not mean that they
cannot find an opportunity for being a leader. As employees acquire
increased leadership competencies and skills, they can gain recognition as
leaders from the top leadership and stakeholders. This can lead to being
listened to by top leadership for their advice, which can translate to gaining
more authority and input as a lower level leader in the organization. 286

This need for leadership throughout the organization becomes increasingly
important as organizations become larger and more complex. In larger
organizations, top leadership is less able to accomplish everything that is
needed of and expected from the organization. Instead, top leadership

needs to focus on communicating an inspiring vision and clarifying core
values, and on demonstrating real care for the members of the
organization. The idea is to foster the feeling among staff and stakeholders
of being part of a community within the organization. If the members of
the organization feel that they are part of this community and are cared for

and about, it will be more likely that they will seek opportunities to assume
leadership roles. Therefore, the role of leadership in top management is to
create a community environment of trust in which many leaders can
emerge.

286 Jack Ferraro, “Self-Directed Leadership Development – Moving Beyond the PMP,”
http://www.compaid.com/caiinternet/ezine/ferraro-sdl.pdf.

David Kolzow 270