Leadership through Empowerment

I have been sharing  the gist of webinars I have attended including those organized by Bija Training under their Mask Leadership series, for the benefit of readers. On 10th November the webinar organized by them was on the topic of "Leadership through Empowerment" and the speaker was Ms Neethi Sharma President and Co founder, Team Lease Edutech Ltd. This time however, I was assigned the role of giving an oral summary of the proceedings of the session at the end. Therefore, I am sharing with you the video of the summing up I made and filling up the gaps of points I may have missed by including them in this write up. Please do not miss watching the video for the comprehensive coverage.

The major  questions that were addressed by Neethi were the following: 

1)  Is empowerment just delegation?   

Not at all. It means a lot more that include hand holding, training, being part of their successes and failures. Leaders have a problem in that as they reach higher levels of management, they find it difficult to let go and accept that juniors are also competent enough to take responsibly and deal with situations.

2)  What do you do when people do not match up to expectations? How can we then practice empowerment? 

Small baby steps have to be taken to empower people according to their abilities (more responsibility  as they enhance them). It is okay if everyone cannot be empowered. What is important is  to enable our people to think on their own. Do not stunt their growth; when we do that we are stunting our growth as well. Sometimes, it is the lack of trust that prompts us to conclude that they do not or cannot 'match expectations'. Hence there is the need to build trust.   

3)  Is there any step by step  process that you can share for empowerment? 

There is no standard process of one size that fits all. It would vary depending on the styles and beliefs of the individual leader and the readiness level of the one to be empowered. The thumb rule is give them a feeling that you are with them to back their decisions. Further, encourage and facilitate decision making- " If a problem has only one solution, don't come to me for approval. Do what needs to be done".   

4)   What do you do when you do not have a formal place of work with the ones reporting to you is not physically available for interactions? (This happens when working for global agencies or many gig workers are involved)   

As it is, getting work done from people reporting to you can be a challenge. When they are spread far and wide, building relationships becomes of paramount importance. People tend to develop bonds with those who can be useful to them, help them in solving problems etc. Therefore it is important to demonstrate that you can be of  substantial help and eventually it is all about  give and take. The more you give the more you get. 

5)  Would you recommend various levels of empowerment depending on their hierarchical level in the organization?    

The differences in the level of empowerment is always bound to be there. As already discussed, you have to try out small and see what the person is capable of handling and pass on more responsibilities accordingly. The highest level of empowerment would be financial empowerment done  last if and when it is felt necessary. In this regard, the team members also have to rise to the occasion and demonstrate through their behaviour that they deserve to be handed over the 'privilege' of higher responsibility; it cannot be claimed as a 'right'.    

6) Should children be empowered and if so at which age?  

As in the case of adults who have unique traits, abilities and attributes, children also exhibit such characteristics right from childhood. The empowerment can and will  happen depending on the readiness level of the child and the willingness and confidence level of parents. Empowerment in Indian families which are known to be traditional and conservative has increased over the years. Today, as for example, children have a big say in deciding vacation destinations of the family.