Builds People’s Confidence
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.1
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 a 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 coach- ing 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.2
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.
Create an environment where they get the chance to surprise themselves.3
Going about the process of empowering by building confidence in the organization takes longer, but it is effective. For instance, if a company has a history of shutting down or letting go of initiators, a leader can’t just tell employees that they are empowered to make decisions. The global leader must first create a safe environment by encouraging constructive dialogue, asking for input, and sharing knowledge. However, it is counterproductive for executives to “announce” that employees are empowered. Employees will only believe they are empowered when they are left alone to accomplish results over a period of time.
Sometimes, leaders may need to restore confidence, and leaders should al- ways maintain the positive and cut down on the negative.4