Why real changemakers need to stop ‘empowering’ their teams.

EMPOWERMENT ROCKS, RIGHT? WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE EMPOWERED.

We want empowered employees, who are dedicated to their work and who come up with creative solutions for problems that arise, without having to be told and given specific instructions. We want leaders who empower others to do their work and lead themselves. We want empowered women who bust through glass ceilings effortlessly and shift gender balances through meritocracy and general frolic. 

But allow me to throw a spanner in the works and say this: authentic leaders need to think twice before they decide to “empower” someone.

Hear me out.

The problem with empowerment:

While I’m sure those who use the term to describe their value offering have good intentions, there are a few issues with “empowerment”. 

1. “Empowerment” sounds terribly pretentious, especially when used as a verb. 

Any sentence that begins with “I empower...” immediately makes me think of fairy godmothers, superheroes and other all-mighty figures who dish out the mysterious concept of “power” to those they deem worthy. What’s wrong with a good old “help”, “teach” or even “enable”? Let’s get off our high horses!

2. It assumes a formal placing of power on another person (which is often not the case). 

"I bestow on you the power to …” This doesn’t apply in a lot of contexts, although the term is used all-too-frequently. For instance, a training organisation that “empowers trainers to deliver excellent learning experiences” might just be requesting for them to adhere to a certain set of standards. Likewise, a make-up blogger doesn't empower anyone to smear colourful powers into their face. Yes, they teach people certain techniques and perhaps inspire them to be courageous and try something new but the “power” is always with the powder owner. 

3. Leaders often forget the flipside of true empowerment

When there is actual empowerment happening (for example, a leader who wants to empower their team to deliver better customer service by giving them the authority, technology and freedom to make people happy in creative and even whimsical ways) we often forget that true empowerment means taking a step back, trusting those we have “empowered” and, ultimately, letting go.

INSTEAD, TRY THIS ON:

A call for authentic enabling

Being an effective modern-age leader often means accompanying change and being a changemaker, which in turn requires a radically different approach to leadership. In the past, being a leader meant being an autocrat - someone who rode solo as a decision-maker and as a result took on all responsibility (a fast way to reach burnout, by the way). 

Authentic leaders are those who view themselves as part of the whole. Once leaders are able to recognise and fully embrace how they fit into an often complex network of stakeholders, they see that they cannot act as an island. They need their team members as much as the team needs them, and in order for team members to work effectively, they need some level of responsibility. 

Embracing this concept while allowing team members a certain level of autonomy is an act of authentic enabling, and this is what true changemakers should strive for in any organisation.

Authentic enabling in action

One of the greatest examples of an empowering leader in the truest sense of the word is Richard Branson, who coined the phrase “Chief Enabling Officer”. By enabling stakeholders to pursue their vision within the organisation, says Branson, we give them an opportunity to unleash their power, allowing them to feel less like employees and more like “belongers”. 

By nurturing a mighty team of “belongers”, Richard Branson plans to make commercial space exploration a reality in the near future. When it comes to authentic enabling, the sky is no longer the limit - it’s literally the entryway to a galaxy of possibilities! 

How to authentically enable your team

Let’s put this term to practice. How do we, as authentic leaders and changemakers, genuinely empower our teams? 

1. Check your vocabulary

When you use the word “empower” ask yourself whether you actually mean empowering or whether, perhaps, you are just weirded out about owning how you specifically add value. Try on advising/involving/ demonstrating/ briefing/ developing/ training/ encouraging/ promoting/ training instead and see how that feels.

2. Understand your team

If you actually mean empowering, the next step is to ask yourself: does the person I am supposedly empowering actually want or need to be empowered? If yes, you’re golden. If not, it may be a good opportunity to ask why.

3. Let go

The next question is: how much are you letting go? Are you allowing your team members autonomy to develop and execute their vision? For many of us, this is the hardest part of authentic enabling, yet it is the most crucial step to leading a healthy and dynamic team.

4. Nurture your people

That being said, authentic enabling isn’t about piling a stack of responsibilities onto a team member’s desk and shouting “go!” Leading with authenticity means being present and offering all-inclusive support: checking in, asking the right questions and coaching when necessary. It’s when we find the balance between letting go and nurturing that we genuinely empower our teams.

Leading with authenticity

How do you fare at authentic enabling? Authentic leaders are those who understand their role within the organisation and genuinely empower others to do the same, and the world is hungry for changemakers who understand this deeply. 

Does your organisation crave a new form of leadership? Let’s talk!