The organization has in place mechanisms to solicit ideas, suggestions and recommendations. Shared discussion leads to shared goalsl, which, in turn, lead to shared responsibility. This means the completion of goals will generate shared success. Arbitrarily demanding accountability, which is some people s definition of leadership, will result in compliance. Empowerment, on the other hand, will lead to commitment.
Nothing succeeds like success.
Leaders should organize the team, delegate wisely, encourage independent thinking, reinforce self-actualized behavior and solicit frequent feedback. The true power of a leader is measured by the impact of that leader when she is not in the room. If her presence is felt and people are diligently doing their best to implement their shared vision, they have been empowered. If they are waiting for her to return to get direction or, worse yet, are taking advantage of her absence to reduce their productivity and goof off, they are not. For those of you seeking empowerment, you have a special opportunity to control the direction of the organization, yet, simultaneously, you have an awesome responsibility.