Do they follow you or do you follow them from influence, or from power?

Bear standing on two legs-Yellowstone NP 2024. Foto credit: LSC (my daughter)

Once, I worked at an organization where I admired the person in charge for her technical ability. One day, I asked her something important to develop my work and give me more tools to communicate the company’s vision to clients, and their response was:

💬 "I don't have time to explain that. I'm too busy."

I remember the sense of demotivation that left me. Did they really not have time, or did they simply not care to teach because they saw it as a waste of time? Was this what leadership was like?

That experience made me reconsider my place in the company. But more importantly, it led me to reflect on my own leadership and how I had exercised it in positions I had held before. Had I ever fallen into that trap?

Long time ago, I was a complete workaholic, and perfectionist, with the false belief that no one could do things better than I could. I didn’t delegate because I thought it meant losing time and control.

Until, overwhelmed and wanting to find a better balance with my life outside the office, I decided to give it a try: teach, trust, and empower others. And that's when I understood. Not only did I free up time for myself, but I saw how people grew, how the team strengthened, and how leadership, when understood properly, is based on influence, not power.

Five Levels of Leadership

John C. Maxwell explains that leadership is a process that is built over time and developed at different levels. It’s not a title or position, but an evolution:

1️⃣ Position – Leadership based on authority

🔹 This is the most basic level. People follow you because they have to, not because they want to.

🔹 Here, the challenge is to show that you can contribute beyond the title.

2️⃣ Permission – Leadership based on relationships

🔹 You start to build trust. People follow you because they want to, not just because they have to.

🔹 Listening, understanding, being empathetic, and connecting are key at this level.

3️⃣ Production – Leadership based on results

🔹 Here, you start making an impact. The results reinforce your leadership and motivate the team.

🔹 People trust you because they see that together, more is achieved.

4️⃣ People Development – Leadership based on multiplication

🔹 The true leader doesn’t just seek results but also develops new leaders.

🔹 Here, delegating, teaching, and empowering others becomes essential.

5️⃣ Pinnacle – Leadership based on legacy

🔹 At this level, people follow you not for what you do but for who you are and the impact you leave behind.

🔹 It’s leadership at its highest form: enduring and purposeful.

Leading from influence, not power

The difference between an average leader and an exceptional leader lies in influence. When you lead from the power of a title, people follow you out of obligation. But when you lead from influence, people follow you for inspiration.

👀 Key question: How do you lead? From authority, or from trust and impact?

The cost of not leading with awareness

Not dedicating time to develop others can have serious consequences:

⚠️ Demotivated and dependent teams.

⚠️ Overload on the leader for not delegating.

⚠️ Lack of growth in the organization.

Great leaders aren't afraid of their team growing; on the contrary, they encourage it. When you lead with influence, you strengthen the organization and you grow too.

My greatest learning about leadership

When I understood that leadership is a process, my perspective changed. It’s not about doing everything alone or maintaining control, but about building strong teams, generating trust, and creating spaces for mutual learning.

🎯 At some point, we are all leaders and followers. And nothing is more discouraging than a leader who says: "I don't have time to teach you."

If we want to make a real impact, we must lead with awareness, commitment, humility, and generosity.

Ready to take your leadership to the next level?

If you want to lead with more influence, impact, and confidence, I can help. As a life coach, I support professionals in their leadership development, helping them unlock their potential and move forward with clarity.

💡 Let’s work together to take your leadership to new heights.

📩 Send me a message and let’s start this journey.