ESL CONNECT - Level-Five Leadership

1. Before watching

Discuss before watching. Focus on what makes a leader effective and trustworthy.

1. What qualities make a leader “great” rather than just “good”?

2. Can a leader be ambitious and humble at the same time?

3. Do companies usually reward quiet competence or confident self-promotion?

2. Watch

Watch the video on YouTube using the image below. Then complete the activities.

3. Comprehension

Choose the best answer.

1. What did Jim Collins and his team study?

2. What is special about level-five leaders?

3. What do level-five leaders do when things go wrong?

4. What do they do when their company succeeds?

5. What is one problem mentioned in the video?

Answers: 1 B, 2 A, 3 C, 4 B, 5 A.

4. Five-paragraph gap-fill

Choose the correct answer. The five paragraphs are adapted from the transcript.

Jim Collins and his research team examined 30 years of data from over a thousand companies. They wanted to understand what made some companies go from good to .

They identified several factors that contributed to strong market performance. One of these was called , the highest level of leadership ability.

Level-five leaders need the skills of lower levels, including the ability to improve performance and create a clear . However, they also have a rare combination of fierce resolve and personal .

When things go wrong, these leaders look in the and blame themselves. When the company succeeds, they look out of the and give credit to others.

The video argues that companies should seek out leaders who are fierce but . These leaders may be overlooked because many organisations reward extroverted style over .

Answers: great, level-five leadership, vision, humility, mirror, window, humble, substance.

5. Phrasal verbs

Match each expression from the transcript with the correct meaning.

1. go from good to great

2. look in the mirror

3. give credit to

4. channel ambition into

5. seek out

Answers: 1 D, 2 B, 3 A, 4 E, 5 C.

6. Vocabulary

Match each word or phrase with its meaning.

1. fierce resolve

2. personal humility

3. compelling vision

4. underperformance

5. extroverted style

6. substance

Answers: 1 E, 2 A, 3 F, 4 C, 5 B, 6 D.

7. Grammar

Grammar focus: contrast linkers for discussing leadership: although, despite, however, whereas.

Brief rules

Although + clause: Although they are ambitious, they rarely talk about themselves.

Despite + noun / -ing: Despite their success, they give credit to others.

However starts a new sentence and shows contrast. Whereas compares two different ideas.

1. ______ level-five leaders are ambitious, they are also humble.

2. ______ their quiet style, they can be extremely determined.

3. Many companies reward confident style. ______, this may cause them to overlook quieter leaders.

4. Some leaders seek personal fame, ______ level-five leaders channel ambition into the company.

5. ______ being responsible for success, level-five leaders give credit to others.

Answers: 1 Although, 2 Despite, 3 However, 4 whereas, 5 Despite.

8. Discussion

Use the language table first, then discuss the five questions below.

Function	Useful B2 language
Giving an opinion	In my view, a great leader needs...
Contrasting ideas	Although confidence is useful, humility is also important.
Giving examples	A good example of this would be...
Agreeing partly	I agree to some extent, but...
Concluding	Overall, I think the best leaders are...

Five discussion questions

Do you think humility is an important leadership quality? Why or why not?
Can quiet leaders be as effective as charismatic leaders?
Should companies reward results, personality, or both?
Can you think of a leader who combines determination and humility?
What type of leader would you prefer to work for?