Great leaders play a big role in turning good companies into amazing ones. All the companies that went from being just good to being great had this kind of leader. These leaders are not only really good at what they do, but they’re also very focused on making their company the best it can be. They work hard to get good results and want their company to keep doing well even when they’re not in charge anymore.

What’s special about these leaders is that they’re not proud or show-offy. They don’t brag about their own achievements, but they’re quick to take responsibility if something goes wrong. For example, there was a leader named Darwin Smith who turned Kimberly-Clark into a top paper goods company. He didn’t act like a hero or a celebrity. He dressed simply, spent his holidays working on a farm, and liked spending time with regular workers like plumbers and electricians. (We today know the simplicity of Steve Jobs & Bill Gates). They are called level-5 Leaders; Level 5 leaders understand the importance of putting people first and strategy second. This means finding the right people for the organization, getting rid of the wrong ones, and putting employees in the appropriate positions, all before addressing business tactics.

On the other hand, two out of three leaders in other COMPARISON companies had really big egos, and this didn’t help their companies in the long run. One leader, Stanley Gault, was very strict and successful but didn’t plan for what would happen after he left. When he left, the company had problems, and it was eventually bought by another company.