The model is intended as a practical tool for developing leaders’ leadership presence, knowhow and skill. It aims to summarize what leaders have to do, not only to bring leadership to their group or organization, but also to develop themselves technically and psychologically as leaders.
The three levels referred to in the model’s name are Public, Private and Personal leadership. The model is usually presented in diagram form as three concentric circles and four outwardly-directed arrows, with personal leadership in the center.
The first two levels – public and private leadership – are “outer” or “behavioral” levels. Scouller distinguished between the behaviors involved in influencing two or more people simultaneously (what he called “public leadership”) from the behavior needed to select and influence individuals one to one (which he called private leadership). He listed 34 distinct “public leadership” behaviors and a further 14 “private leadership” behaviors.
The third level – personal leadership – is an “inner” level and concerns a person’s leadership presence, knowhow, skills, beliefs, emotions and unconscious habits. "At its heart is the leader’s self-awareness, his progress toward self-mastery and technical competence, and his sense of connection with those around him. It 's the inner core, the source, of a leader’s outer leadership effectiveness.” (Scouller, 2011).
The idea is that if leaders want to be effective they must work on all three levels in parallel.
The two outer levels – public and private leadership – are what the leader must do behaviorally with individuals or groups to address the “four dimensions of leadership” (Scouller 2011). These are:
A shared, motivating group purpose or vision.
Action, progress and results.
Collective unity or team spirit.
Individual selection and motivation.
The inner level – personal leadership – refers to what leaders should do to grow their leadership presence,