John Maxwell outlines the five levels of leadership: 1) Position, where people follow due to obligation; 2) Permission, where relationships develop and people follow willingly; 3) Production, where credibility grows as leaders effectively solve problems; 4) People Development, where leaders commit to developing others' skills and capacities; 5) Pinnacle, where deep respect forms due to a leader's proven qualities and long-term contributions. Maxwell stresses that leadership is an ongoing learning process and different people view leaders through these various levels depending on their relationship.