I am very careful about who i listen to and follow when it comes to leadership. Some people know about leadership, but have never led. Others have some really odd ideas about leadership. But there are a few voices in the crowds that speak truth with clarity and wisdom. Max Webber is one of them. The following is from his blog. I would encourage you to sign up and follow him. He does not post often but he posts wisely. Below is just a portion of his post. You can see it all by clicking here.
Power Generators
In
organizations that rely on external power and control to make people perform,
the constituents rarely achieve their best. The capacity of individuals and
organizations to excel grows when the people do things because they want to,
and not because they have to. When people are mere powerless pawns, they feel
weak and insignificant. Empowered people, however, possess greater confidence,
determination and effectiveness. Exemplary leaders accomplish great things by
enabling others to take ownership of and responsibility for the organization’s
success.
As
the following “formulas” demonstrate, when you give away responsibility you
must also give away authority.
What Is Empowerment?
E = R + A + E2
Empowerment = Responsibility + Authority + lots of Encouragement
Empowerment = Responsibility + Authority + lots of Encouragement
R – A = F2
Responsibility without Authority produces much Frustration and Failure
Responsibility without Authority produces much Frustration and Failure
E = O
Empowerment = Ownership
Empowerment = Ownership
Leaders
have a choice: they can hold onto their power (authority, responsibility and
privilege) and use it purely for selfish ends, or they can give their power
away to others. The more power you have, the less you should use, and the more
you should give away..... Read it all!
