The Act of Empowering Others Changes Lives

He was sincere and pleasant, but he was also shy and kept to himself. He prided himself on never drawing too much attention to himself.

His style of leadership was in fact a lack of leadership, in which he left most of his employees to their own devices.

He was good man but he was not a leader, and now his company was paying a steep price.

Through coaching I had to explain what a true leader was and how empowering others is an important aspect of leadership. He asked why? “Because it changes lives,” I said.

We can map out our leadership by the ways in which we empower others:

By helping them reach new heights. As a leader you share your knowledge and your wisdom. You make a point of investing time and resources to show your people that you believe in them, and it’s a win-win situation for all. Your job is to see the potential, find out what they lack to develop it, and equip them with what they need.

By appreciating them. Everyone wants to feel that they count for something and are important to someone. People will work harder, and work more, for those who care about them, and their trust will earn you respect.

By having the right attitude. If you want to be successful at empowering people, you need to be mindful of how you show up, how you respond and react, and how you deal with conflict. Attitudes are contagious—and that fact is especially important when you’re working to empower others.

By sharing information and giving them what they need. The best leaders think about what their people need to do their jobs well. You can’t just take for granted that they have all that they need; you engage and share information and give them the knowledge and tools they need to be successful.

By modeling the way of empowerment. The best leaders let others see, hear, and experience what empowerment is. They are mindful of their attitude, their moods, and their ethics—aware that people are looking to them to set an example.

By grooming others for leadership. When you groom others you are transferring authority to them, allowing them to share in the load, and giving them opportunity to lead. In empowering them you’re ultimately working toward the day when you can hand over the baton.

Just about everyone has the potential to empower others. Start looking for opportunities today, and see your leadership grow.

Lead From Within: When you empower people, you’re influencing not only them, but also all the people they will influence in turn through their leadership. That is empowering.

By Lolly Daskal