Level 5 Leadership: The Mirror That Drives Greatness

In his landmark book Good to Great, Jim Collins examines how companies that outperform the market evolve into true giants. While many factors drive that transformation, Collins singles out leadership—specifically, what he calls Level 5 leadership—as the linchpin.

Level 5 leaders differ from executives of “good” companies in one simple, powerful trait: personal humility. They credit teammates for successes and take full responsibility when setbacks arise.

Collins describes this dynamic as “the window and the mirror.” Level 5 leaders look out the window to acknowledge others’ contributions and look in the mirror to own the blame when outcomes fall short. Charismatic leaders of companies that never reached greatness, by contrast, look out the window to blame external factors and look in the mirror to claim credit when things go well.

Having spent the last 12 years advising firms on lubrication practices, I’ve seen two familiar patterns in maintenance teams:

1. Those who admit room for improvement and seek solutions from the outside.

2. Those who boast about past wins but cite external constraints to explain why world‑class lubrication remains elusive.

Consider the mining sector. Mines are inherently dirty, hazardous, and challenging environments. The question isn’t whether they’re doomed to mediocrity—rather, it’s whether leaders adopt a “glass half‑full” mindset. With Level 5 leadership, even a mine can achieve world‑class performance; it’s a matter of ambition and execution.

In my experience, mine maintenance teams fall into two archetypes:

• Engineers who can rebuild a 16‑cylinder diesel engine with their eyes closed yet refuse to look beyond the dusty environment as an excuse for average performance.

• Engineers who continuously seek improvement.

Take the diesel engine case I covered in a recent column: upgrading filtration extended rebuild life from 14,000 hours to 50,000 hours. That leap required Level 5 leadership—looking beyond current challenges to seize opportunity, rather than settling for mediocrity.

Managers who settle for “good” often cite market pressures and cost‑cutting as barriers to lubrication excellence. Level 5 leaders, however, treat these constraints as challenges. They ask, “What more can we do?” and then search for solutions beyond the obvious.

Another common friction is between shop‑floor technicians and their managers. Technicians may claim that management is out of touch, while managers blame staff for causing lubrication problems. Resolving this divide demands Level 5 leadership: active listening, honest self‑reflection, and a willingness to change.

While it’s unrealistic to expect every technician to be a Level 5 leader, that mindset is essential for any maintenance or reliability manager aiming for greatness.

So ask yourself: are you striving for greatness as a Level 5 leader, or are you content with being “good” in lubrication?