I recently posted about a valuable insight that every leader should be reflecting on regularly, particularly when they are feeling overwhelmed:
‘ONLY do what ONLY you can do’.
The benefit of this is to challenge yourself on where to focus and how to act with impact.
There is a Part II to this insight, and it is a powerful build:
‘And EMPOWER your team to do what you CHOOSE not to do’
The benefit of this is you’re focussing on the strengths of the individual or team, and mapping out how to collaborate successfully.
The word EMPOWER is everywhere, but what does it really mean and how do we put it into practice ?
Here is something profound I learnt - I can’t empower anyone, I can only create the ‘space’ for someone to choose to be empowered in.
Ask yourself, when you tell an individual or team ‘You are empowered, now go and move forward with your plans’ - what are they thinking ? What do they feel empowered to do ? Are your expectations and theirs aligned ?
To really empower an individual or a team, we have to work together to create the ‘space’ where someone can be feel empowered and act with intention.
What are the important things we find in this space ? Here are a few to consider:
• A shared understanding of what success looks like
• An understanding of what are the boundaries of the empowerment, and if these are reached, how do we regroup ?
• What are the barriers and obstacles in that space ?
• What risks will we need to take and how will we take learnings ?
• What resources are needed to succeed ?
• How comfortable is the ‘space’ of empowerment agreed, and how will any ‘stretch’ be managed and supported ?
As a leader, how are you coaching your teams and creating an environment where people feel empowered ?