Level 5 teams
A practical model for building a team that grows with your business.
L5
TEAMS
Every critical seat is filled with purpose and intent
The structure supports scale, not bottlenecks
Leadership is leveraged, not overloaded
Values and behaviours are aligned across the team
The team is aligned around the future, not the past
The 5 levels of team effectiveness
05
Confidently aligned
A-grade team with clarity, trust, and adaptability. Seats evolve with the business; leaders have true leverage.
04
Cohesive but constrained
Strong values and delivery, but capacity is capped. The team runs well, until it’s asked to stretch or scale.
03
Stable but stuck
Solid but uneven. Some high performers, some drift. Energy is patchy, and the structure holds growth back.
02
Reactive & compromised
Struggling to deliver. The team lacks clarity and momentum; effort is high but impact is low.
01
Dysfunctional & fragile
No structure, no stability. Trust is low, turnover high. Leaders are stuck plugging gaps instead of leading.
What the model enables
We use the Level 5 model to help leaders:
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Understand where their team really sits today
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Identify structural or behavioural gaps before they cause drag
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Design roles that serve the future, not just patch the past
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Prioritise who to hire next, and why
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Build a hiring system that gets stronger over time
Why it works for growing businesses
Most recruitment solves today’s problem. Level 5 helps you solve tomorrow’s.
This model is designed to scale with you, whether you’re:
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Moving from founder-led to a true leadership team
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Preparing the business for sale or succession
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Stepping from national to international
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Replacing a long-standing team member
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Building a team that can take your hands off the wheel
It’s not just a score. It’s a decision-making tool that helps you grow without outgrowing your people — or hiring the wrong ones under pressure.
Who this is for
This model supports leaders who are:
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Planning a critical hire or restructure
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Preparing for scale, succession, or sale
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Wondering if they have the right people on the bus
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Looking for clarity before hiring again
How leaders are using this model
A founder used the model to clarify the #2 role three years before a planned sale & exit.
An HR manager used this model to upgrade a vacant role into a succession plan for their CFO.
A senior hiring manager used this model to plan their team rebuild, over 12 months, following a restructure.
