The 3 Layers of a Rising Leader: From Trench to Strategic Land Leadership

Have you ever wondered how leadership development really happens? Is it something people are naturally gifted at, or can it be developed and refined over time?

Leadership is something we grow into. Some people naturally see systems, people, or strategy more easily, but every leader has to develop awareness and skill to lead well.

Leadership can be hard to define because it blends mindset, awareness, and behavior. Over time, an analogy began to form that helped describe how leaders grow and evolve. It’s something I have used often in coaching conversations called: the Trench–Motorcycle–Helicopter–Airplane framework. This summer, it became formalized as The Elevation Model.

The Elevation Model outlines four levels of leadership perspective: the Trench, Motorcycle, Helicopter, and Airplane.

Each level represents a different way of seeing, thinking, and leading. It helps leaders understand what altitude their role requires and how to operate with greater awareness.

This article focuses on the early stages of leadership within the first layers, moving from the Trench to the Motorcycle and what differentiates a capable manager from a true Strategic Land Leader (motorcycle mastery).

Layer 1: The Trench Leader

This is where leadership begins. Trench leaders manage the work. They are close to the task, the process, and the people doing the work.

Skill and focus at this level
• Execute with precision and accountability
• Manage time, tasks, and priorities effectively
• Keep teams organized and productive
• Communicate direction clearly

Challenge or blind spot
• Can become reactive or overly task-focused
• May struggle to delegate or trust others fully
• Can miss the bigger picture when energy stays in the details

What helps you elevate
• Learning to step back and see the pattern behind the problems
• Building systems that hold others accountable
• Creating time for reflection instead of constant activity

Questions to ask yourself
• Where am I spending my energy—on tasks or development?
• What could I delegate or systemize to free up space to lead?
• What am I not seeing because I am too close to the work?

Trench leaders are the backbone of every organization. They make things happen. Their strength lies in reliability and consistency. As they build confidence and structure, the next step is learning to look up, beginning to see across teams, people, and processes. This is the foundation for becoming a Motorcycle Leader.

Layer 2a: The Motorcycle Leader

The Motorcycle Leader oversees several trenches and begins to lead through others. From this view, they can see across teams, workflows, and timelines.

Skill and focus at this level
• Lead leaders and manage multiple priorities
• Translate strategy into operational plans
• Anticipate issues before they become emergencies
• Maintain team morale while meeting goals

Challenge or blind spot
• Balancing people care with performance outcomes
• Drifting back into trench work when pressure rises
• Feeling stretched between managing up and leading down

What helps you elevate
• Strengthening relational awareness... seeing what motivates each person
• Building trust so that accountability feels supportive, not policing
• Scheduling time to think strategically, not just execute

Questions to ask yourself
• Where am I over-involved in the details?
• What systems or leaders need to be strengthened so I can look ahead?
• How can I use feedback and reflection to stay aligned with the bigger vision?

Motorcycle leaders carry enormous responsibility. They keep the operation running while bridging teams and strategy. Their growth comes from learning to see beyond performance and into alignment. As they strengthen systems and trust, their next growth step is expanding their view and influence, stepping into Strategic Land Leadership (motorcycle mastery).

Layer 2b: The Strategic Land Leader with Motorcycle Mastery

The Strategic Land Leader leads from expanded awareness. They see the interconnection between teams, culture, systems, and outcomes.

Skill and focus at this level
• Connect strategy, structure, and people
• Read organizational tone, energy, and culture
• Develop leaders who can carry vision forward
• Align decisions with mission and long-term goals

Challenge or blind spot
• Seeing everything but struggling to act quickly enough
• Feeling isolated from the front lines
• Balancing long-term strategy with short-term demands

What helps you elevate
• Listening deeply before deciding
• Coaching and empowering others instead of directing
• Building rhythms of feedback and alignment that keep culture strong

Questions to ask yourself
• Where am I spending too much time reacting instead of anticipating?
• How am I shaping the environment that others lead within?
• What systems or relationships need to be strengthened to sustain growth?

Strategic Land Leaders anchor the culture and direction of an organization. They connect people to purpose and guide others to grow. As they refine vision and strategy, the next elevation is about multiplying leadership, rising to the Helicopter and Airplane perspectives, where leaders shape vision, innovation, and long-term legacy.

The Stretch Between Managing and Leading

The difference between managing and leading strategically is not about position or title. It is about perspective. Managers make things happen. Strategic leaders create an environment where things can happen better.

The shift happens when a leader:
• Lifts their eyes from tasks to trends
• Anticipates instead of reacts
• Moves from doing to developing others
• Begins shaping culture and alignment

This is where emotional intelligence, systems awareness, and relational insight start to merge.
It cannot be learned through checklists; it comes through reflection, feedback, and consistent self-awareness.

Take a few minutes to reflect on where you are leading from right now.

For you as a leader
• Which layer best describes your current focus?
• What are you learning at this level?
• Where do you sense it is time to expand?

For your team
• Who around you is ready to grow to the next layer?
• How can you help them see more clearly and lead more effectively?
• What rhythms or conversations would help them practice this growth?

Leadership development is not about working harder. It is about rising higher ... seeing further, thinking deeper, and leading with greater awareness. It is important work and leading well is the gateway for elevating others and contributing with an impact that makes work better and truly changes lives.

PS – yes, there are helicopter and airplane leadership levels as well ... more to come on those in the future!