January 2001

Level 5 Leadership
(Exhibit: The Yin and Yang of Level 5)
Harvard Business Review

by Jim Collins

Professional will
Creates superb results; serves as a clear catalyst in the transition from good performance to great performance.

Demonstrates an unwavering resolve to do whatever is necessary to produce the best long-term results, no matter how difficult.

Sets the standards for building an enduring great company; will settle for nothing less.

Looks out the window, not in the mirror, to apportion credit for the company’s success; credit goes to other people, external factors, and good luck.

Personal humility
Demonstrates a compelling modesty, shuns public adulation, never boasts.

Acts with calm determination; relies principally on inspired standards, not inspiring charisma, to motivate.

Channels ambition into the company, not the self; sets the next generation on the path for even greater success.

Looks in the mirror, not out the window, to apportion responsibility for poor results; never blames other people, external factors, or bad luck.