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In the next few weeks, we explore three ems of leadership: Empowerment, empathy, and emotional intelligence. As I will explain in the next paragraph, there are plenty of other leadership characteristics worth exploring. I am exploring these three characteristics because they are relatable to each of us, and they relate to each other. When leadership applies these concepts, we generate incredible organizational value, improved team inspiration and dynamic, and healthy group cultures. Organizations need great leadership. 

Show me an organization with outstanding leadership, and I will show you a likely market leader. What is leadership? Simon Sinek says good leaders eat last. Craig Groeschel indicates that good leaders generate healthy cultures. Henry Cloud has a book titled 9 Things a Leader Must Do. John Maxwell sells the book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. He has another called The Leadership Handbook: 26 Critical Qualities Every Leader Needs. The point is, there is a variety of necessary characteristics in good leadership. Most are valid. In the next few weeks, I would like to pull the thread of these three specific and relatable topics. The application of these ems transforms organizations from average to passion-filled market leaders. 

This week, we begin with empowerment. 

Em 1: Empowerment 

In General (R) Stanley McChrystal’s book Team of Teams[1], a variation of the word empower is used over 50 times. Given the unconventional aspects of recent conflicts in the Middle East, military leaders developed non-traditional methods of leadership and engagement to defeat a hardened, crafty, and experienced enemy. Decentralization and empowerment, traditionally, were not in the normal vernacular of the U.S. Army throughout the years. A common perception of the military structure is central command, command decisions, hierarchy, and a strict decision-making structure. In contrast to historical modus operandi, to win this war, the commanders broke down internal silos and walls to promote a quicker, more responsive, and empowered fighting force. Suddenly, leadership had to trust that those they trained, built up, and led would deliver.

4 Rules of Combat: Cover and Move. Simple. Prioritize and Execute. Decentralize Command. Jocko Willink[2]

There are two distinctions to consider in empowerment. The first one, already discussed, is decentralization. Organizations often re-structure to decentralize for quicker decisions and more flexibility. We see that in Team of Teams. It is also one of Jocko Willink’s four rules of combat. In the Middle East, Army leadership removed walls in make-shift HQs to promote a decentralized and flexible command organization. 

The second distinction is more physiological. To empower is to inspire and motivate. In Empowered to Lead[3], the authors discuss the physiological benefits of empowerment in detail. The researchers tested their hypothesis that empowered leaders and subordinates are more inspired and motivated than those not empowered. They discovered empowerment was especially useful where change and innovation are necessary.* I find this independently consistent with the reason behind the Army’s decentralization and empowerment mindset in the Middle East. The unconventional warfare forced the Army to change and innovate. To do so, they implemented an empowered or decentralized command structure. 

*Quick anecdote: Based on some first-hand experience, team members avoid innovation when there is a lack of empowerment. There is no incentive to take the risk.    

Decentralization is mechanical, structural, practical, and tangible. Empowerment is inspirational, motivational, and intangible. Yet, each principle is similar in that leadership, for either practical or physiological reasons, loans power to the team. Or, in the world of politics, the people loan the power to the elected.

Empowerment is a powerful tool when used appropriately. Unfortunately, improper deployment or misunderstanding is commonplace. It is helpful to discuss what empowerment is not so we avoid pitfalls.  

Empowering is not shirking responsibility. For example, Jesus empowered his disciples. He died on the cross. He empowered Pilot to make the call; he did not force his release. Even when it was hard, He held the cup; now we can too. That is empowerment. The command in the Middle East empowered its fighting force but held itself accountable for the success or failure of the mission objectives. Lincoln empowered his Union Generals but knew he would be the one taking the bullet. Insecure leaders who experienced little or refuse to take risks resist empowering their teams. 

Leadership requires a level of respect. Respect is earned through experience, leading by example, and taking ownership. The foundation of empowerment is rooted in experience, trust, and courage. Remember the famous speech by Teddy Roosevelt? “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” A leader resists empowering when he/she resists the arena. 

My final plea: The Greek meaning of empowerment is, “to make strong and enable.” “Fill with power, strengthen, and make strong.” [4] I love that. Do we take enough time to consider how we make our people strong? Do we consider what we need to do to fill them with power? The application of an empowering mindset is an explosive tool in leadership. In my experience, the more we empower people, the better the company performs – when we empower the right people. 

Summary/Put it in practice:

• Empowerment, when correctly deployed, improves organizational value and team morale.
• Trust and training are necessary elements in empowerment.
• Empowerment generally leads to increased motivation and inspiration.
• Companies requiring change and innovation perform better when they implement healthy empowerment.
• Avoiding leadership responsibility is not empowerment.
• Empowering the right people increases the effectiveness of the strategy.
• Empowerment is filling the team with power and strength.

I’d like to say thank you. The last post received the most views by far. With all the content available online, I appreciate you taking some time to read through this website. It means a lot. Most of all, I hope you find it helpful.

[1] McChrystal, Stanley. Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. Business News Publishing, 2016.

[2] Willink, Jocko. Leadership Strategy and Tactics: (Field Manual). Macmillan, 2020. Apple iBooks

[3] Spreitzer, Gretchen M, et al. “Empowered to Lead: the Role of Phycological Empowerment in Leadership.” Journal of Organizational Behavior, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 27 May 1997, webuser.bus.umich.edu/spreitze/Pdfs/EmpowertoLead.pdf. 

[4] Freitag, Danielle. “The True Meaning of Empowerment.” action169, action169, 3 Oct. 2017, www.action169.com/post/2017/10/03/the-empowered-lifestyle.