Tag Archives: Servant Leadership

Empowerment Part 1

In every leadership journey there will come a point where you will need to transition from a command and control leader (some would say micro-manager) to an empowering leader. It can be painful when someone refers to you as a micro-manager, we typically don’t want to be seen as control freaks. Command and control leaders can be very effective, look no further than Steve Jobs of Apple fame. Having a command and control leader can also be useful in emergency situations or working with a team that is very fresh and unskilled (think toddlers).

At some point, most people want to be empowered. Empowerment can be defined as giving authority or power to someone to do something. What are the basics to empowerment?

Empowerment

There are three basic steps to Empowerment – Trust, Train and Empower.

  • Empowerment begins with mutual trust – as a leader you must believe in the potential of the individual, trust that they want to do the right thing and the individual must trust you are there to support them.
  • Training is required, not just in the knowledge and skills required for the task, but also the “guardrails”. The guardrails are the decision boundaries including areas such as policies, procedures, SOPs’s, ethics and decisions that may show favouritism. The guardrails will change over time as the individual gains skills and knowledge.
  • The final step is to get out of the way and empower the individuals. Set up a pre-determined checkpoint where you will be able to provide feedback. For feedback, there is no better feedback than positive feedback when someone is executing to expectations.

Who Is Your Pitcher of Water?

You’ve heard it before – circle yourself with personal and professional connections that will help you improve. It doesn’t matter who you are, those challenging times will come at some time in your life. Your personal glass of water can sometimes be half empty or half full. We can’t always be at 100%. What I find more important is that you have a support network around you that can lift you up during those times. That is what I call my pitcher of water. I have been blessed throughout my life to have pitchers of water around, always looking to fill up my glass when needed.

As leaders, we need to do the same thing. When you have that opportunity to refill someones glass, don’t let that opportunity pass you by. Someday your glass will need a refill.

Level 5 Leadership

If you haven’t had a chance to read Jim Collins, make a point to do it at some time. Jim introduces the concept of Level 5 Leadership.

Good to Great: The Level 5 Leader – Borden's Blather

Jim found that Level 5 leaders have humility, and they don’t seek success for their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the team and organization can thrive. They share credit for success, and they’re the first to accept blame for mistakes. Collins also says that they’re often shy, but fearless when it comes to making decisions, especially ones that most other people consider risky.

Level 1: Highly Capable Individual

At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills needed to do a good job.

Level 2: Contributing Team Member

At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team succeed. You work effectively, productively and successfully with other people in your group.

Level 3: Competent Manager

Here, you’re able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific goals and objectives.

Level 4: Effective Leader

Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you’re able to galvanize a department or organization to meet performance objectives and achieve a vision.

Level 5: Great Leader

At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four levels, plus you have the unique blend of humility and will that’s required for true greatness.

Servant Leadership

We quite often hear the term Servant Leadership. Servant leadership can be defined as a leadership philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve. This is different from traditional leadership where the leader’s main focus is the thriving of their company or organization.

In order to be a true Servant Leader you need to focus on each individual on the team. In John Wooden’s book on Leadership, John introduces the concept of having a plan for each person. Everyone is different and has different needs. John explains the you don’t have to treat everyone alike or the same – give each individual the treatment and focus that he or she deserves.

Take time to understand each person, their current circumstance, where they desire to be in the future and develop a plan. By focusing on the areas below you can become a very successful Servant Leader.

Bring Me Solutions, Not Problems

One of the biggest let downs I hear from leaders at times is when they tell team members – Bring Me Solutions, Not Problems! You are in a leadership role for a reason, to help others reach their full potential and to learn. While you may feel you are empowering others by giving them the directive to bring a solution, more often than not, you may put someone in a position where they don’t have a solution and will continue to languish away not wanting to appear to be a failure.

In Adam Grant’s Ted Talk on Givers and Takers he introduces a valuable concept. We want to be disagreeable givers, not volunteering solutions but rather working with the team to develop solutions. Next time you see someone struggling why not say – Think it over and we can discuss potential solutions – let me know when you are ready.

This is how we truly empower the team and work together to develop the best solution.

Leaders Can Build Others Up or Tear Others Down

Entering Grade 8 I was introduced to a new style of leadership that I will never forget. My home room teacher assembled the class and stood at the front of the room behind a podium. The first words out of his mouth were “I am God to you this year. I hold your future in my hands. Follow my rules and you will be ok”. I can’t remember the rest, I only remember the message. Like many of my classmates, this took us off guard and set us back a bit as we were all looking forward to high school followed by a post secondary education. I didn’t respond too well to this type of leadership and did not have my best performing year coming off a string of good years. At the end of the year, the recommendation from this self proclaimed God was that I set my sights lower and not consider post secondary education, just get the basics.

Thankfully my parents built me back up, convinced me otherwise and I was capable of much more. I went on to high school and ended up with an Engineering degree followed by a career of increasing scope and leadership.

My preference in leadership has always been to build people up and help them reach higher, knowing that I will be there to support them should they stumble. Build confidence rather than tear people down and destroy it. Thankfully I didn’t listen to the advice of my Grade 8 leadership.

One day when I returned to my hometown I took a trip to the local hardware store to pick something up for my Dad. To my surprise (and to be honest bringing a smile to my face), the Grade 8 self-proclaimed God was stocking shelves. I never understood his motivation in his leadership style and really didn’t care enough to ask him.