Level 5 leadership, from _Good to Great_ by Jim Collins, is built on two traits that rarely show up together—**deep personal humility and fierce professional will**. These leaders are ambitious, but not for themselves. Their ambition is directed toward the mission and the organization. They don’t seek the spotlight, yet they deliver extraordinary results. In the study, every company that made the leap from good to great had a Level 5 leader at the critical turning point. ### **What I’m thinking about** 1. **Rare but measurable** – Out of 1,435 Fortune 500 companies studied, only 11 made the “good to great” cut, and all had Level 5 leaders in place during the transition. This is not theory; it’s backed by data. 2. **Personality isn’t the driver** – These leaders were not charismatic icons. They were quiet, sometimes shy, but they paired modesty with an unshakable resolve to make the company succeed. 3. **Can be developed** – Many have the seed of Level 5 leadership but need the right triggers to grow—such as a mentor, a demanding boss, or a life event that reshapes priorities. ### **So what?** If you’re in a leadership role, you don’t need to be a celebrity CEO to create lasting impact. Focus less on being noticed and more on delivering results that matter. Check your ambition—make sure it’s anchored in the mission, not your ego. And if you’re not there yet, you can grow. Seek feedback, learn from those who lead with quiet strength, and face challenges that demand both humility and grit. Over time, that mix can take you, and the organization you lead, from good to great. Related: [[Personal Principles]] [[Conscious Leadership]] [[Effectual Reasoning]] [[First Who, Then What#Unexpected Findings]] [[Founder Mode]] [[Founder Led Not Founder Lost - Why Ownership Matters]] [[Jeff Bezos#Leadership Lessons]] [[Sam Altman]] [[Constructive Developmental Theory#5. **Self-Transforming Mind (Stage 5)** - **Later Adulthood (Rare)**]]