Empowerment – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

The greatest leaders aren’t necessarily the ones who do the greatest things. They are the ones who empower others to do great things.- John Maxwell

When the great singer Enrico Caruso had his first voice lesson, his teacher was less than impressed. “You can’t sing.” his teacher exclaimed, “Your voice sounds like a wind in the shutters”.

Not deterred by the review, Caruso’s mother believed that her young son indeed could sing. She was very poor, but she scraped up enough money to pay for his voice lessons. She believed in her son and made great personal sacrifices to help him along.

In order for your organization to move forward and succeed it needs a leader at the helm who will dare to defy the words of its critics and believe in its people. For an aspiring singer like Caruso, he had a mother who believed in him and made sacrifices for his success. Who do your people have?

Building a culture of empowerment is one of the single most important roles you have as a leader. In order to get it right, you have to be intentional. Here are four ways to begin.

Encourage Ownership

Chances are, within your organization are individuals who have a ‘take the bull by the horn’ mentality- those who contribute in significant ways to moving your organization forward. Then again, there are those who simply need encouragement to embrace their skills and overcome their fears in order to rise to their potential.

As a leader, make it your priority to empower your people to own their work, make decisions in real-time, and to act in harmony with your values. When ownership increases so does morale which leads to greater wins for everyone.

Promote Collaboration

When the people within your organization learn how to work in collaboration with one another it builds a momentum you would not otherwise experience. This type of energy is not created alone nor is it sustained alone. It takes a group of dedicated people working together to make it happen.

As a leader, it’s important to understand the power of collaboration. When your people see each other as allies instead of competitors, it will change the dynamic of your organization Click To Tweet. When you promote collaboration and you promote empowerment.

Challenge Traditions

The most deadly words in any organization -’ this is the way we’ve always done it’, will have the same consequences for your organization if you do not challenge traditions. If 2020 has taught us anything in leadership, it’s taught us how to pivot and has upended many traditional ways of doing things. When your people have the freedom to shake things up a bit it creates new energy of empowerment that can move your team to a higher level.

As a leader, you must empower your people to challenge traditions that have lingered too long or serve no practical purpose now. Don’t forsake the values that brought you where you are, but be willing to take a fresh look at those practices going forward.

Elevate Everyone

Your people are the most appreciable asset you have as a leader. When you elevate your people with your words, your actions, and your daily decisions, you demonstrate their importance in tangible ways. This type of empowerment has a lasting impact that is an extension of your leadership.

While empowering your people is one of the most important things you can do for your organization, being the type of leader that adds value to others is your highest calling as a leader. Click To TweetMake it your practice to add value above all else.

Final Thoughts

One of the greatest returns on your leadership is not in what you can get others to do for you, but in what you can do for them. The day you realize that it’s not about you is the day you will begin to empower others.

The Cardinal Point Leadership Podcast is coming in January 2021! The Cardinal Point Leadership Podcast is for leaders young and old. My desire is simple – to cut through the clutter and deliver leadership content that is relevant, practical, and useful. Here we will talk about leadership development, employee engagement, servant leadership, and much more.

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The people’s capacity to achieve is determined by the leader’s ability to empower – John Maxwell

Most leaders I know like to believe that they are making a difference in their organization. Ask most and they will affirm that they are. I’m sure you are one of them and that you strive to make a difference daily.

But if we take a closer look a different story emerges in some instances. Research by Gallup (http://bit.ly/1uUCjpX) in 2014 shows that only 13 percent of all employees are “highly engaged” and 26 percent are “actively disengaged”. While not all companies have an employee engagement issue as mentioned here there are leadership lessons to be applied nonetheless.

On what level are leaders making a significant impact in their organizations if only 13 percent are highly engaged? Where is the reconciliation point between employers who believe that they are engaged and employees who believe that they are not? What rubric determines success and failure in this area?

One of the keys to bridging the gap rests with the leader’s mandate to empower his or her team. As a leader you are either empowering your team or you are endangering it. Here are five ways to know the difference.

Empowerment is an investment of your trust

Trust is essential to your success as a leader. You must first earn the trust of the people that you lead. Without trust you have nothing. But your investment as a leader in your people is a game changer when you unleash their potential to perform. When empowered and trusted the commitment level of your team members will go through the roof and performance will be off the charts. But this is where it begins or ends.

As a leader you endanger your organization and your team if you do not trust them and empower them to do their jobs.

Empowerment is an acknowledgment of your security

Leaders who are secure in their own strengths and abilities have no pause to empower others. Only secure leaders can give power away. It’s based upon the first principle mentioned here- trust. Confident and secure leaders set the tone and raise the bar for all leaders in their organization to follow. Show me a leader who is secure in his or her leadership and their ability to empower others and I will show you a confident team moving forward.

As a leader you endanger your team when you allow your insecurities to cloud your judgment and disrespect your people. Get over yourself and empower your people.

Empowerment is an expression of your adaptability

The old adage says that change is the only constant. Your relevance as a leader is connected to your ability to change. By empowering your people and unleashing their creativity you position your organization to stay current and competitive. Empowerment is a great change agent and without it you render your organization irrelevant.

As a leader you endanger yourself and your team when you lose your capacity to change. Keep your values intact and remain grounded to core principles, but always be willing to change your methods.

Empowerment is a reflection of your culture

Name any of the top successful companies you’d like such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Verizon, FedEx, Walt Disney, etc. and you will find that a culture of empowerment is a shared trait. Engaged leaders are attentive and intentional about creating a culture where people are valued, respected, trusted, and empowered. It’s the secret sauce of success.

As a leader you endanger your team and the culture that could be enjoyed by hoarding the power. It’s not about how much power you have but in how much you give away.

Empowerment is the blueprint of your success

Your growth and development as a leader comes with certain responsibilities and obligations. It’s to empower those around you and the next generation of leaders who follow. Simply put; it’s not about you. The level of success you wish to achieve is proportional to your commitment to empower those around you. A sampling of your blueprint to success for you and tour team should read like this: empowered, equipped, trusted, engaged, committed, etc. Is the picture becoming clearer?

As a leader you endanger your team and its future by neglecting the responsibilities of your leadership. Your leadership can make greater impact and be more rewarding when you realize it’s simply a tool of empowerment.

Are you empowering or endangering?

*For more information on my Employee Engagement workshop click the tab on the menu bar at the top of the page.

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Doug Dickerson on Leadership

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