Unleash the Power
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer   

I believe that you have an untapped resource within your organization. A resource that, when fully utilized, has the potential to transform your organization and perhaps much more. The tool you need to leverage to unleash this potential is empowerment. Empowerment happens when you share your influence with others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. As your staff grows in ability, they take on larger roles in the organization. The organization’s abilities begin to grow, allowing it to have a larger presence in the marketplace and community. Let’s take a look at how this might work.

Start by looking for potential in your people. Where are they gifted? What are they really good at, and do they enjoy doing it? This isn’t always easy to figure out, so you can also have them take a Strength Finders assessment to bring this to the surface. It also provides insights into what the person naturally does best and gives tips on managing potential weaknesses.

Once you have this potential identified, you need to ask yourself how you can help them grow. What opportunities do you see for them? Who can you connect them with that can help them grow? What training or coaching could you invest in that will give them tools to excel? Is there authority that you can share with them that will allow them to expand their reach and influence?

I recently read this statement that sums empowerment up so well, “It’s seeing others’ potential, then sharing yourself – your influence, position, and opportunities – with the purpose of investing in the lives of others so that they can function at their best.” When we spend our time empowering others, they begin to grow, our organizations grow, and if we do it well, our communities grow.

With all this opportunity for growth, why do some leaders resist empowerment? I believe it’s because they are reluctant to give up control. They are fearful of letting go and letting others make some of the decisions. They may also be afraid they will no longer be the smartest person in the room.  Sadly, they are letting go of an exciting future to remain average.

If you would like to hear more on this topic, please join Marisa Norcross and me for Episode 213 of The Next Page podcast as we discuss how empowerment works.

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