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The 3 Levels of Leadership
in an Organisation

Word Count: 533

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"The 3 Levels of Leadership in an Organisation"

    - by Simon Hazeldine MSc BA (Hons) FInstSMM
 

(c) Simon Hazeldine. All Rights Reserved.


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LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP IN ORGANISATIONS

“A leader is not the one who does everything.  A leader is
the one who makes it possible for others to do.”
Paulo Freire

It is a common mistake to think that leaders only exist at
senior levels in organisations.  It is also a mistake to
think that leaders are only required at senior levels in
organisations.

A humorous sign I once saw above a person's desk indicates
that people in organisations recognise the need for
leadership:

“Leaders are like eagles.We don’t have either of them here.”

It does not matter at what management level you are
operating in your organisation. It does not matter what
your job title or role is.  You can be a leader.

Organisations need leaders at every level.

Whilst it is useful to understand the demands that are
placed on a leader at various levels in an organisation it
cannot be stated strongly enough that leadership is
required throughout an organisation.

People can be leaders at any level and at anytime. 
You do not need to wait to be appointed to an “official”
leadership position. A leader is anyone who chooses to lead.

With this said, let us explore some of the demands that
leaders face at differing levels of the organisation.

What level are you operating at?

An important area to consider is at what level in your
organisation are you operating as a leader?  Effective
leaders will understand at what level in the organisation
they are operating and more importantly what they need to
be doing at each level.

We can usefully analyse three levels of leadership within
an organisation:

1.People Leaders

2.Operational Leaders

3.Strategic Leaders


People leaders

People leaders are the first “official” leaders in an
organisation.  They are given a role that requires them to
lead.  This is different from the more informal leadership
role that someone may choose to take within the organisation.

People leaders generally operate at a team level and their
main responsibility is for the people who work in their team.
Their focus is primarily on day-to day tactical
accomplishments that they and their team are responsible for. 

People leaders need to spend a considerable amount of time
coaching, training, developing, and influencing small
groups and individuals. As the first line leaders in an
organisation they will also be required to inspire and
motivate the people in their teams to improved levels of
performance. 

People leaders are often the medium through which
organizations communicate to their employees.


Operational leaders

Operational leaders usually have responsibility for a
departmental function or functions.  They will often need
to manage managers that are beyond their own functional
area.  Their focus is primarily on optimizing the processes
& performance of their unit. 

Operational leaders need to balance short-term functional
concerns with a longer view on sustaining and driving
competitive advantage.

Strategic leaders

Strategic leaders operate at the senior levels in an
organisation and will have responsibility for a
(sometimes wide) range of organisational functions. T
heir focus is on driving execution.

Strategic leaders need to ensure alignment between
organisational strategy and the capability of the
organisation.

Strategic leaders – as the name implies – need to
formulate future strategy.

What level of leadership are you operating at?