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The Importance of Empowerment
Ghostwritten for an executive newsletter.
Most people know the phrase “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The concept of empowerment is simple, but when we’re all busy with the day-to-day grind of the working world, it can seem a whole lot easier to just catch the fish ourselves.
Many people don’t always see just how important empowerment can be. For starters, taking a little extra time to explain something to a staff member and help them understand it properly will pay dividends, as they probably won’t have to ask you for help with it next time. But it goes so far beyond that in the long run. When you empower someone to figure something out rather than just doing it for them, it shows you trust their skills and ability to learn. It also reiterates that you’re invested in their career and find value in their talents.
Empowerment is also an important part of leadership. We may not always realize it, but the people we work with are constantly looking at how we lead by example. We all have bad days here and there, but if we consistently brush off questions or give short answers, others may take that as a reflection of our leadership style—or, worse yet, may respond in a similar way to a colleague. But when we take the time to empower others, that behavior is contagious as well.
While it may be quicker and even seem kinder to do something for someone, giving them the right tools to figure it out pays off for both of you in the long run. How will you empower someone today?