Three Levels of Leadership

Leadership can be viewed on three levels. From least effective to
most effective, these levels may be defined this way:

LEVEL ONE: IMPRESS
The leader impresses followers. This can be done with little or no
relationship. It requires only the will of the leader to be involved. He must want to leave a memorable impression on the
followers.

LEVEL TWO: INFLUENCE
The leader influences followers. This can be done with some
relationship between the two. It requires the will of the follower
to be involved. He must want to be influenced by the leader.

LEVEL THREE: IMPACT
The leader impacts followers. This can only be done through
intimate relationships. It requires both the will of the leader and follower be involved. They must agree to accountability and growth.

In other words, even my feeble attempts at mentoring are better than my best attempts at impressing someone from the stage. Good, honest attempts at developmental relationships are better than no attempt at all.

--Excerpt taken from Mentoring, by Tim Elmore