{"id":1586,"date":"2012-07-09T20:55:38","date_gmt":"2012-07-09T20:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/?p=1586"},"modified":"2018-08-01T22:07:24","modified_gmt":"2018-08-01T22:07:24","slug":"10-empowering-leadership-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/significant-sustenance\/10-empowering-leadership-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ideas for Empowering Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leadership is not a job, not a role one plays at work and then puts aside during the commute home in order to relax and enjoy real life. Rather, leadership is the leader’s real life. <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CHRIS LOWNEY, Heroic Leadership<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Leadership<\/strong> flows from who you are and whether you realize it or not you are leading all the time.\u00a0 Leadership is also more than implementing techniques to get people to perform the way you want them rather it inspires people to grow, it encourages those you lead to “own” the vision and goes a lot further to garner their hearts than just their backs!<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 10 empowering leadership ideas<\/strong> which will have a profound effect on your organization:<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n

1) You set the tone. Be the change you wish to see.<\/strong> \u00a0Remember how dissatisfying it was when you were told by people of authority “Do what I say and not what I do”? \u00a0Your employees and team members are watching you and the way you conduct business, treat your customers and treat other employees. \u00a0The way you approach unexpected problems and conflict will have a significant impact on how your employees look at you, their job, each other and your customers. \u2028Cultivate healthy character within yourself and model it for your team. \u00a0Healthy character includes humility, courage, integrity, compassion, humor, passion and wisdom. \u00a0These are foundational for every leader who is seeking to be successful in meaningful and sustainable ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Share the Vision<\/strong>. Create a meaningful mission statement and a do-able value proposition. \u00a0Heard it before?\u00a0 It has to be more \"empoweringthan a framed picture hanging on your office wall.\u00a0 Create a mission statement that is concrete and one which every leader will be encouraged to share by both word and example.\u00a0 What as a company are we trying to accomplish?\u00a0 What values will we maintain in pursuit of our vision?\u00a0 Why is it important and how is each member important to achieving that vision?\u00a0 Then tell your team why they are important, why the goals are important, why the values are important.\u00a0 Then model it.\u00a0 Keep modeling it.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Reward the right things<\/strong>. This is a common challenge in many organizations.\u00a0\u00a0 For example, they value cooperation and <\/span>teamwork, but poor bonus\/incentive programs effectively breed unhealthy internal competition, jealousy, and politics. \u00a0Teamwork and cooperation are truly important to be innovative, so we need to make sure we are rewarding the right kinds of performance. \u00a0We need to recognize the contributions of the employee and at the same time the support team around them by developing an incentive program in which employees also benefit when “we” all win.<\/span>
\nLooking to reward increased sales and improve customer service?\u00a0 Consider employee evaluation that quantifies customer service effort as a part of an incentive package.<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Communicate<\/strong>. Don’t wait for an annual review to provide constructive feedback for your team members. Feedback can be a useful tool for improving performance and <\/span>creating\/maintaining healthy empowering organizational culture. A Harvard study discussing the role of feedback for undergrad students found not only did students use the feedback to improve their performance in the future, but they also began to understand the instructor’s expectations, methodology, self-evaluate their performance and adjust, and providing a more satisfying experience.*<\/span><\/p>\n

If there is an issue, provide feedback in a way that is constructive. \u00a0Likewise, if someone is doing something well offer feedback as well – let’s face it who doesn’t like to hear they’re doing a good job! \u00a0In a sense, we are coaching those we lead, and as we work to develop our own skills and character, we can facilitate similar development with those we lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Be Accessible.<\/strong> Being accessible is not just being available but being truly present when talking with your\u00a0team member.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 Focus your attention on the person you are talking with.\u00a0 Listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it.\u00a0 Observe body language and allow that to influence the kinds of questions you as.\u00a0 Ask questions and offer thoughtful feedback and counsel.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"6) Clear Expectation and Goals<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A youngster on a Basketball team I coach has lots of skill and athletic ability. \u00a0The first play at the start of the second half, he received the ball and with grace, finesse, superior ball handling skills and sheer mojo he drove to the net climaxing with a two-point play that would make any hi-light reel! \u00a0The problem was; he scored on the wrong basket! \u00a0You can have the most talented and skilled personnel but without clear, thoughtful and communicated goals you aren\u2019t going to harness your talent, and you will miss the target!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Take the time to formulate your goals and objectives. \u00a0Make sure they are consistent with a well thought out mission statement and organizational values. \u00a0Create and look for opportunities to clearly and regularly remind your team. \u00a0Help them focus on your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

7) Clear Boundaries<\/strong>.\u00a0 Machiavelli said it is better to be feared than loved, but many have found this to be an ineffective method of leading people. \u00a0Equally as ineffective is the manager, who is all \u201cbubble-gum and gum-drops, spreading rainbows everywhere they go.” \u00a0But somewhere between the two ditches is an effective manager who is empowering and encouraging, but also provides healthy accountability and necessary remedial correction to not only achieve organizational goals but develop the potential of the individual team members. Healthy EQ (emotional quotient) will help you find this balance in yourself and develop healthy boundaries. \u00a0Being aware of what needs you need to be met, and healthy and appropriate ways of meeting them will help shape those boundaries. \u00a0 If you need to be \u201cliked\u201d by your team more than help them be great, they will never be great. \u00a0If you fear being rejected or failing and, as a result, are harsh- you may get your employees backs but never their hearts!<\/strong> \u00a0This will never facilitate peak performance or innovation or creativity.<\/span><\/p>\n

8.) Delegate<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 You can\u2019t do it all; you only have so many hands, hours in the day, and skill set. \u00a0It is important to release control of some activities to qualified others. \u00a0Micro-managing is a sure fire way to destroy any chance of creativity and innovation, and competency development in your team. \u00a0This will lead to reduced employee retention, employee satisfaction, efficiency and reducing your personal resources to develop new business. Delegation is not abdication!<\/strong> \u00a0Delegation doesn\u2019t mean that you become completely disinterested. \u00a0 It is important to maintain balanced and regular contact with your team via appropriate direct contact, progress reports, and team meetings. \u00a0Be involved, be present but not in the way<\/strong>. \u00a0Let your people do the job you hired them to do!<\/span><\/p>\n

9) Empower people to take Smart Risks<\/strong>.\u00a0 Fear of failing is a prevalent stifling pandemic in western culture.\u00a0\u00a0 The fear of failing paralyzes people\u2019s ability to be innovative and creative, and this hurts every organization.\u00a0 Examine how risk is managed in your organization.\u00a0 Is the culture of fear – fear of losing your job, credibility, of becoming fodder for the organization’s gossip circle?\u00a0 Your organizational culture can be re-tooled by you as you affirm, reward and model smart risk-taking.<\/strong>\u00a0 In the event the risk doesn\u2019t work out, have a constructive discussion about the circumstances, remaining positive and encourage your team to keep thinking, dreaming and sharing ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

10) Use Failure as an opportunity<\/strong>.\u00a0 So the risk your employee took didn\u2019t work out.\u00a0 It happens and yes, while it costs money, time and a bit embarrassing you can leverage this experience of failure into a powerful learning experience.\u00a0\u00a0 By doing a \u201cpost-mortem,\u201d you can examine the risk from hindsight – not for an \u201cI told you so\u201d but to glean what could be done differently next time.<\/strong>\u00a0 Are there any questions that perhaps should have been asked but weren\u2019t?\u00a0 Was there an overestimation of resources\/strengths?\u00a0 Did we discover a weakness we didn\u2019t realize we had?\u00a0 These and any number of other questions can serve to empower us, equip us and inspire us to take better risks in the future and yes while failure can be costly it provides valuable lessons that all involved will remember for years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

[tweetthis]Leadership is the leader’s real life. – CHRIS LOWNEY[\/tweetthis]<\/span><\/p>\n

______________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

* endnotes Harvard Writing Project Bulletin, Special Issue.\u00a0 The Harvard Writing Project, an initiative of Expository Writing, works with faculty and Teaching Fellows throughout Harvard College to develop effective ways of responding to student writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leadership is not a job, not a role one plays at work and then puts aside during the commute home in order to relax and enjoy real life. Rather, leadership is the leader’s real life. –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CHRIS LOWNEY, Heroic Leadership Leadership flows from who you are and whether you realize it or not you are…","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,35],"tags":[321,355,370,499],"class_list":["post-1586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-significant-sustenance","category-success-with-significance","tag-leadership","tag-management","tag-mentor","tag-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1586\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}