Empower Your Team Purposefully

While many organizations would like to empower their teams to be creative and solve problems, the leaders of these teams oftentimes are not prepared to lead them. Leaders must be purposefully trained to empower a team to be successful; it doesn’t happen by accident. Training leaders to be comfortable to allow their teams to develop solutions will ultimately improve the satisfaction and morale of the team as well as help an organization be successful.

One phrase that frequently emerges in discussions about leadership is "empowering your team." On the surface, this concept seems appealing—leaders aspire for their team members to feel empowered, capable of success, and encouraged to explore innovative solutions. They aim for a team that can drive the organization forward autonomously to some extent. However, simply stating the intention to empower the team is not enough; it requires proactive effort from the leader.

What do I mean by this? If a leader is plagued by insecurities or feels threatened by the competence and drive of their team members, they will struggle to empower their team effectively. Insecure leaders may fear appearing incompetent and, as a result, withhold empowerment from their team. Similarly, leaders plagued by anxiety may prioritize pleasing higher-ups and adhering strictly to established goals and metrics, fearing repercussions for deviating from the norm. Consequently, they may resist creative problem-solving approaches for fear of negative consequences. Leaders who are insecure or anxious are ill-equipped to succeed in empowering their teams.

Empowering a team requires deliberate cultivation by leaders. Without intentional efforts to foster empowerment, it's challenging to cultivate a team that feels truly empowered. Unfortunately, many organizations overlook this crucial aspect, assuming that leadership roles automatically translate to team success. However, this is not the case; leaders must be purposefully developed to enable their teams and facilitate their success.

To achieve this, organizations must focus on purposefully developing leadership teams rather than simply assembling them and expecting results. Leadership development should be a priority, ensuring that leaders are equipped with the skills and mindset needed to empower their teams effectively.

If you're interested in further exploring strategies for empowering leadership and fostering team success, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].