Self-Leadership – The Key to Effective Empowerment

“If empowerment is to be successful, organizations must develop self-leaders who have the skills to take initiative.” – Ken Blanchard

In Ken’s great book, “Leading at A Higher Level”, he sets out four keys to highly effective leadership. They are:

• Set your sights on the right targets and vision. 
• Treat your people right.
• Treat customers right. 
• Have the right kind of leadership. 

In previous articles, we spoke about the importance of empowering your people to do great things. Empowerment approaches performance management from the manager’s viewpoint. 

For empowerment to work, an organization must have employees who understand and practice self-leadership. Managers today have too many direct reports and too much to do to actively manage all of the people under their care. Self-leadership gives their people the skills they need to manage to desired outcomes and ask for help only as needed. 

Two Keys to Creating Self-Leaders

• Clarity – Leaders must create clarity for the entire organization and the people they lead. They set organizational clarity through the company’s vision, purpose, core values, and company-wide yearly and quarterly goals. They create clarity for individuals by clearly defining the win for that person’s role annually and quarterly. 
• Individual Learning – No growth occurs without learning. Leaders should expect self-leaders to learn on their own time and budget but, they cannot expect all learning to occur that way. An organization must create a culture of learning and growth. This can be done through company “universities” where specific skills can be learned. Creating these types of learning plans has two great benefits. First, your people grow and the organization can only grow as fast as the people within it. Two, you attract employees that want to grow! Your “university” can be as simple as identifying the best books on the topics your employees need to lead well. Facilitate learning clubs and recognize those who participate. You’ll be well on your way to developing a culture of self-leadership. 

Three Skills of a Self-Leader

1 – Challenge Assumed Constraints – Most of our constraints are assumed. We assume that we can’t learn a skill, run a project or get the boss to accept our ideas. We must use the power we have to challenge these constraints and leaders must welcome and celebrate the challenges their people bring to them. 

2 – Activate Points of Power – Blanchard and his team highlight five sources of power we can use to positively influence outcomes in our workplaces. Everyone has some degree of these forms of power, but few ever discuss them. It can be enlightening to discuss these forms of power with your co-workers. 

You maximize your points of power when you combine them with two powerful words – “I need.” Next time you need something from someone don’t ask them if they are busy. We all are. Instead, phrase your request as “I need (fill in your request here). When would you have 15 minutes to discuss this?”

The five points of power are:

• Position Power – The power we are most used to recognizing. We have it through our titles and the people we manage. But, it is one of the least effective powers to achieve long-term outcomes. 
• Personal Power –  This power is us. This power comes from our skills, character, passion, persistence, wisdom, and ability to persuade others. 
• Task Power – This power is our ability to help or block others from doing a task. An executive assistant has the power to control who gets time with the CEO. A scheduling manager has the power to control which products are produced and when. 
• Relationship Power – This power comes from our associations with others. Friendships, mentorships, and doing good deeds for others all increase our relationship power. 
• Knowledge Power – This power comes from the skills and expertise we have developed throughout our lives and careers. 

3 – Be Proactive – This is where self-leaders take the initiative to get the direction and support they need to achieve their goals. This starts with seeking clarity. Make sure you understand the expected outcomes in full. Force your leaders to delegate well. 

Next, use the “situational leadership” model to define the type of management you will need on the task. If your manager is unable or unwilling to give you the level of support you need ask them where to get the support. Do not waste your time and the company’s time drowning in a project that someone else could easily map out for you. 

Self-leaders know what they want out of their careers and work with their leaders to define the steps to make it happen. Along the way, self-leaders deliver on their promises by seeking clarity, learning, challenging constraints, using their power, and being proactive.

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