What is Empowerment?

Every leader is only as effective as the individuals that surround him or her, who carry out the jobs needed for the leader’s cause.

Empowerment in leadership is when the leader provides these individuals with the support, authority, responsibility, and resources needed to be successful, and removes obstacles so they can perform at their best. Empowerment means looking at the big picture, defining the task, and letting the individuals involved determine their own solution to address the task effectively. This requires that leaders trust those carrying out the tasks. Leaders should provide support instead of telling people what to do and how to do it.

Empowered leadership is viewing your people as true partners in the endeavor. This is the mindset of Empowerment. Empowerment should be a part of every leader’s toolkit. It strengthens everyone in the organization, keeps the team or organization on the path to success, and builds one of the most important elements on any team – trust. Trust between leader and led, and trust between everyone on the team. Empowerment invests in people, and there is no greater return on investment in any profession.