Four Ways to Unleash the Power in Others
Weak teams waste resources, distract organizations, and hobble progress. It drives leaders crazy.
Lousy leaders promote and protect their own power. Unfortunately, power-hungry leaders need others to feel weak.
Elevate your power by unleashing the power in others.
Ego dis-empowers others.
The real issue for those who aspire to lead successfully is the way you pursue success. Don’t suppress your passion to be remarkable.
Channel your passion for remarkable leadership into unleashing the power in others.
Wide influence – that produces deep results – always unleashes the power in people.
You become great as you make others feel powerful.
Four ways to unleash the power in others:
- Don’t compete, compare, or out-do. The best way to suppress another’s power is to be in competition with them. Pull with, not against.
- Turn “don’t wants” into “do wants.” Aspirations often begin with negatives. The powerless complain and fight against. Powerful people fight for. Uncover “do wants” by exploring “don’t wants.”
- What should be better? Why?
- What frustrates you?
- What do your frustrations tell you about your aspirations?
- How would things be better if you achieved your aspirations?
- Power comes from stepping out. Inaction makes you weak. You give power to others when you help them take action.
- Who do you aspire to become?
- What do you aspire to accomplish? Why?
- What steps have you already taken?
- What have you learned about yourself?
- What are some options for next steps?
- Which option would you like to try?
- When will we meet next?
- Create safety nets. People step out when they believe you’ll support them if they fail.
- Ask, “What makes you feel safe enough to take the next step?”
- Provide resources and training.
- Schedule follow-up meetings.
- Gradually pull away, but remain accessible.
Elevate the power of others by helping them embrace their passion, potential, and immediate opportunities.
What do leaders do that dis-empowers others?
How might leaders unleash the power in others?
One thing I’ve seen in my organization that dis-empowers people is that a mistake is made (nothing detrimental to the organization) and instead of leadership talking to the person, asking the person what they would do different or what they have learned from the mistake, leadership now requires the person to run everything by them for approval.
A teachable moment is lost and they could have empowered that person by simply discussing with the person what better options could be taken in the future.
Thanks Holly. Ahh yes!! The old paperwork, bureaucratic approach that spends too much time preventing mistakes. In the process, progress slows to a crawl!
Thanks for jumping in.
Holly, LOVE your point! Our culture is becoming less and less flexible when it comes to mistakes. Mistakes made are opportunities for learning! A culture that embraces the journey – and all the steps along the way – rather than the destination, will flourish. We are too often focused on the mistake. We are human and we should pick each other up when we fall. We will all be better.
Dear Dan,
Really good thoughts.
Still its in my memory of your old post like controlling freaks. What differentiate leaders from leadership. Ego is one of the factors but artificial stinky ego is another factor.
Can leadership values takes place in isolation or by without understanding the innate behavioural characteristics of team or people associate with them.BIG NO
Size of brain does not guaranty the success or leadership. Execution and concept or knowledge and wisdom both are inter-related to each other, same are the leadership etiquettes.
LEADERS extend trust and earn respect and egoistic behaviour control trust and innovation and disrupt culture. How would you create winning sense , when you start listening them or with a attitude of “People First”
Really if organisation wants to grow believe start listening or taking care of employee, it would help leaders to concentrate on hyper-growth factors rather mediocrity or on routine issues because such things or issues are taking care by loyalist or by true professional with a thinking in a direction where you are driving the organisation with set goals and values.
Next level of growth lies in Social intelligence, which is for the people and by the people.
People development with defined vision and values is the best supper of leadership and can unleash the potential of people because of defined leadership values.
Live people, love people and shape people _____________Leadership ….. (fill in the blank)
Crazy
How might leaders unleash the power in others? Offer them the reigns, with Leadership challenges. As you mentioned what aspires them? Seek their inner desires and coach them into a leaders role if they have interest. Show them accomplishments they have made, praise them, offer guidance, if they will accept it. Push them to new endeavors which could reward them in their lives both financially and mentally. Open the doors so they see the whole picture!
THX Dan,
all takes me to the point, where the leader has to answer himself the “what can I do for my people?”-question.
Unexperienced and (low-)line managers way to often present that question to their subordinates (ridiculous word isn´t it?). How should they know? If they knew and you are a respected leader they should have asked for support. If they do´n´t they cannot answer the question! So what is it worth asking?
This is completely about self reflection. Never ask such stupid questions. It tells more about you.
Sorry for my little sadness about “my” leaders.
Dirk
In my most recent position, one leader belittled my progress on a major project. This made my feel less sure of myself and less motivated. It also made me question his leadership style and value. I began to see EGO shining through the cracks in his leadership style. If you gain POWER through a highly visible project, insecure leaders will target you and put the blame on you for projects that did not meet their perception expectations. Sometimes no matter how much insecure leaders jump, yell, pressure, belittle, ignore or chastise you, projects fail due to circumstances beyond your control. Some insecure leaders grow cold, quiet, cowardly and hide behind human resources and let you go due to “organizational restructuring”. PS – true story