After training employees to understand their tasks. roles, and functions within the company, empowering these individuals requires the leader to first give people opportunities and then let go of the process in which the job gets done.
Give people the space and opportunity to grow... Trust your people and give
them opportunities.’
However, a crucial point may be missed if the following concept is not grasped. It is not possible for a leader to “empower” someone to be accountable and make good decisions. People must empower themselves. The effective global leader can facilitate empowerment only by encouraging and supporting decision-making environment in which people feel comfortable making decisions and by giving people the tools and knowledge they need to take action upon those decisions. In our work in executive coaching, we have done extensive “before and after” studies on the impact of coaching on the long-term behavioral change of the person being coached. The key variable in increased leadership effectiveness is the leader, not the coach. In the same way, managers must ensure that their teams are composed of individuals who are willing to take personal responsibility for the organization’s success, and they must provide a favorable environment in which people are encouraged to grow?
In other words, the leader must build confidence within the organization. By creating an environment within which employees feel they can -make decisions and act upon their own initiative, the leader has helped them reach an empowered state. However, the leader didn’t empower the person; he or she created an environment in which the employee feels strong enough to adopt the behavior of an empowered employee.