Was Sam Altman of OpenAI level 5 leader? Why would he inspire a mass exodus? A self-reflection of the second time test
The chaotic ouster of Sam Altman from OpenAI offers leadership lessons around a rare situation: Level 5 Leadership.
The decision by OpenAI’s board to fire the company’s cofounder has proved so unpopular that basically everyone in the company has threatened to quit.
In an era lack of loyalty and a silken valley culture it is so uncommon to see the level of loyalty shown in support for a the leader of a company. Something Steve Jobs did not achieve when he left Apple.
This reaction makes us pause and reflect on the lessons of leadership specially around level of leadership.
Level 5 leadership
In his book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell describes the 5 levels of leadership. Later, Jim collins dedicated a chapter to this topic of level 5 leadership in his book :”Good to Great”
Level 1: Title-Based Leadership
At this level, Maxwell calls it Position, people follow you because of your role or position. While you have a title, you have no power other than the authority to lead.
Level 2: Relationship-Based Leadership
At this level, Maxwell calls it Permission, people follow you because of your influence. They do the job because they want, not because they have to. they give you permission to lead!
Level 3: Result-Based Leadership
At this level, Maxwell calls it Production, people follow you because you get things done. You serve a role model for self-motivation, discipline, organization and delivering results. You get stuff done!
Level 4: Empowerment-Based Leadership
At this level, Maxwell calls it People Development, people follow you because of you have done for them. They follow you because you are the development in chief that empowers his/her team to be the best selves they can be.
Level 5: Legacy-Based Leadership
At this level, Maxwell calls it Pinnacle, people follow you because of you have a reputation for developing strong leaders and strong organizations. It is about legacy where the organization can still function after you are gone. At this level, leaders are known for humility and professional drive.
If we consider these levels of leadership and consider the series of events where the board fires Sam Altman, and the reaction of 700 + employees of Open AI that were ready to quit, we can assess that Sam Altman must have:
- Excelled at Level 2, by building strong relationships and loyalty
- Excelled at Level 4 for empowering people,
- Maybe acheived level 5 except for the part that the organization would function well after him. It is clear that the company would implode if everyone walks out.
As Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies at Yale School of Management, told Business Insider “I don’t know anybody who has this degree of loyalty, affection, and respect, he proves that you can be both loved and respected. And that’s a remarkable accomplishment.”
This story is a great time for us to reflect as leaders and ask our selves, which level of leadership am I at? Would people be willing to follow me or would anyone care? My old mentor Bob Cancalosi, used to call it passing the second time test!
Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
