A520.5.3.RB_RuggerioSteven

Developing and Empowering Employees

In Developing the Leaders Around You, John Maxwell (1995) said, “Great leaders produce other great leaders” (p. 3).  He explained his point further with, “An organizations growth potential is directly related to its personnel potential.  In short, a company cannot grow without until its leaders grow within” (p. 4).  Forrester (2002) believes one of the best ways to grow employees into leaders is through the oft-misunderstood management practice commonly known as empowerment.  

Forrester identified six strategies that aid leaders in enlisting the power of employees more effectively:

1.                    Enlarge power, by building knowledge, skills, and competence alongside increased discretion

2.                    Be clear how much you want to extend employees’ power, the extent you are prepared to extend their power, how you plan to fund it, and the appetite within the company for empowerment initiatives

3.                    Differentiate among employees

4.                    Support power sharers

5.                    Build closely aligned management systems

6.                    Focus on results

These six strategies focus on empowering and equipping an organization’s workforce more effectively.  Correctly managed, these initiatives will both develop employees and increase productivity.  Empowerment is more than a position; it’s an opportunity.

Whetten & Cameron (2011) explained that empowerment “enables people to develop a sense of confidence; it helps people overcome feelings of powerlessness or helplessness; and it acts as a means to energize people to take action and mobilize intrinsic motivation to accomplish a task” (p. 445).  In today’s fluid and sometimes-chaotic business atmosphere of rapid technological change and cutthroat competitiveness, managers risk burnout and an organizations rapid decline if leaders fail to empower and equip employees.

The days of withholding information and power from employees as a means of control are over.  Rather, as Whetten & Cameron (2011) clearly point out, “Evidence shows that empowered employees are more productive, more satisfied, and more innovative, and that they create higher-quality products and services than unempowered employees” (p. 443).  To achieve these ends, they identified five dimensions, or benefits, of empowerment that relate to Forrester’s six strategies above: self-efficacy (competence), self-determination (choice), personal consequence (impact), meaningfulness (value), and trust (security).  These dimensions specifically and measurably strengthen and develop an organization’s most precious resource: its people.

John Maxwell (1995) said, “You can’t turn people loose without structure, but you also want to give them enough freedom to be creative.  The way to do that is to give them the big three: responsibility, authority, and accountability” (p. 98).  Both Forrester’s strategies above and Whetten & Cameron’s five dimensions for empowerment echo the big three and confirm the importance of manager-employee communication. 

Whether it’s Maxwell’s big three, Whetten & Cameron’s five dimensions and nine prescriptions, or Forrester’s six strategies, each underline three common threads inherent in empowerment programs: responsibility, resources, and results.  First, everyone wants to believe that his or her efforts are personally making a difference in society in one way or another.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) call this, “personal consequence” or impact.  They said, “Empowered people have a sense that when they act, they can produce a result.  It is the conviction that through one’s own action, a person can influence what happens” (p. 449).  Forrester highlights the importance of building an employees’ power by increasing their abilities and skills.  Developing employee’s skill and demonstrating their impact with responsibility provides them with the personal motivation that produces positive results.

Once employees are empowered with responsibility, they must be given the resources to function effectively and efficiently.  Resources consist of the tools and techniques necessary to follow-through on assignments.  Some examples include, funding, information, special equipment, the latest technology, and most importantly, the authority commensurate with their responsibility.  Too often employees are set-up to fail because managers did not provide them with the authority to make decisions and enlist others to achieve the task.  Finally, another critical resource is to understand the boundaries and limits of their empowerment.  Working under or stepping over boundaries has the potential to doom a project before it has a chance to begin as well.  Whetten & Cameron (2011) said, “No empowerment can occur without employees knowing what these boundaries are” (p. 466).

The final element of empowerment as identified by Forrester, Whetten, Cameron, and Maxwell as results.  When it comes to empowerment, both the organization and the front line supervisors are stepping out in faith and trusting the employees will produce as good or better results.  One of the key motivations behind producing good results is accountability.  I have heard is said, “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.”  Either way, accountability does not have to entail looking over an employee’s shoulder throughout the process; however, regular and consistent follow-ups and feedback sessions are critical to the empowerment process. 

The results element of empowerment is often defined in terms of the organization’s bottom line.  While that is true, I believe there is another aspect of results that cannot be overlooked: the employee’s personal growth as a leader.  Managers should not judge the effectiveness of an empowerment program solely on profits; but rather, the people.  John Maxwell (1995) surveyed hundreds of leaders and identified empowerment as the characteristic that adds the greatest value to leaders.  He said:

“Motivation, believing in, mentoring, and all the other traits tap into what is inside the person.  Empowerment adds a new dimension to the person that did not and often cannot exist or come into existence on its own…There is a great responsibility with the gift of empowerment.  With the wrong motives a leader can empower for his/her own good rather than the good of the people and the organization.  Great leaders always put the organization and individual people before himself” (p. 178).

Whetten & Cameron (2011) said it best when they summarized their view of empowerment and delegation.  “Strong leaders are not lone rangers so much as they are savvy individuals who know how to mobilize those they lead and manage” (p. 472).  Empowerment is the bridge that makes great leadership happen.

Steve

References:

Forrester, R. (2002). Empowerment: Rejuvenating a potent idea. Measuring Business Excellence, 6(2), 68. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/208740450?accountid=27203

Maxwell, J. (1995). Developing the leaders around you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Whetten, D.A., & Cameron, K.S. (2011). Developing management skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

A631.5.4.RB_RuggerioSteven

For Effective Change: Follow-the-Leader

When I was a young boy growing up in a small farm town in western Pennsylvania, one of the games we used to play was Follow-the-Leader.  As we took turns at the helm, each boy would find himself enthralled in an exciting and adventurous journey through woods, old barns, and small waterways.  One never knew what was around the bend.  While playing both the leader and the follower were fun, the leader role carried a deeper level of anticipation.  Climbing trees and scaling bridges—while already enjoyable—was even more so knowing there were a handful of others exciting tracing your steps slightly unsure of where they would end up.

As an adult, the geography may be different but the game remains the same.  Follow-the-Leader continues in business, sports, and non-profit agencies.  Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to fill both roles again though the expectations inherent in leader and follow are much more complex than they were when we were children.  If leaders hope to be successful, they must be clear about their vision, passionate about the journey, vigilant of the leader-follower relationship, and lastly, they must produce results.   

In regard to the challenges facing today’s leaders, Brown (2011) said, “The globalization of markets, the downsizing of workforces, the flattening of hierarchies, the reengineering of work processes, and the spread of information technology are all part of a revolution in the way we do business.  These changes are happening at the same time and fast.”  In short, we need leaders.  With all the challenges, changes, and uncertainty of our times, it is the men and women with vision, passion, loyal followers, and results that will rise to the top and lead the changes necessary for success. 

Change does not happen accidentally; rather, it is initiated with a specific purpose and it requires leadership to function properly.  The first trait of a successful leader in a change initiative is vision.  In short, they must define reality.  Leaders reach their goals by identifying, shaping, and representing the shared ideas and values of their organization (Gini & Green, 2013).  As stated earlier from the childhood game, leaders must know where they are going.  As kids, we knew if a leader repeatedly required us to stop, turn around, and go back, then it wouldn’t be long before he was replaced.  Furthermore, his opportunities to lead became less and less. 

Ronald Reagan once said, “To grasp and hold a vision is the very essence of leadership.”  Warren Bennis, one of our world’s foremost leadership expert said, “All leaders have the capacity to create a compelling vision, one that takes people to a new place.”  Bennis looked at scores of leaders, and determined that none of them possess all of the characteristics of great leadership.  But every good leader, he found, has vision (Cohn & Moran, 2011).  Before a leader initiates a system-wide change, the leader helps the organization identify the difference between where it is and where it would like to be, and then proceeds to design and implement appropriate organizational development interventions (Brown, 2011).

Ben Stein has made a career acting and speaking with a passionate-less, monotone voice.  Undeniably humorous and witty, it is the antithesis of a passionate leader.  Though this example is extreme it hopes to make a point.  When leading a system-wide change initiative, leaders must be passionate about the prospect of a better future.  Great leaders are able to tap into the power of their deepest aspirations.  Passionate leaders demonstrate that they have put a lot of thought into their vision and are able to speak convincingly about the way in which the organizational mission and their personal passions are intertwined (Cohn & Moran, 2011).

If I may use the Follow-the-Leader example yet again: kids follow because they are excited about where the journey may lead them.  The leader is normally the one shouting with excitement, “Follow me!” and as they climb over and under a myriad of obstacles their passion never wanes.  The same holds true for adults.  Leaders will require great effort and sacrifice from followers and at times they will have to climb over, under, and around some hurdles as they implement new and innovative change strategies.  If the leader doubts the way or loses enthusiasm for the journey, the followers will follow suit and eventually the change effort will stall.  Leaders demonstrate passion because they believe.  When vision combines with passion, leaders are born.  However, as John Maxwell said in Failing Forward, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”  That leads me to my next leadership characteristic: the importance of the leader-follower relationship.

Brown (2011) said, “The implementation of a large-scale change program is almost impossible without the investment of all levels and elements of the organization” (p. 90).  He goes on to add that the collaborative relationship between internal and external practitioners (or leaders and followers) provides an integration of abilities, skills, and resources.  It embodies such qualities as trust, respect, confrontation, and collaboration.  In coaching the 2008 USA Olympic Basketball team to a gold medal, Coach Krzyzewski said, “Leadership boils down to strong relationships.  Before I can be an effective leader, I have to know the players, they have to know me, and we have to know and trust each other” (Cohn & Moran, 2011).  

Fortunately, Coach K won the gold medal.  Four years earlier with many of the same players, the USA team lost in Athens to Puerto Rico and a week later lost again to Lithuania.  If that wasn’t bad enough, they finally lost to Argentina and settled for a bronze medal finish.  Players, coaches, and fans were humiliated.  The NBA was embarrassed on the world’s stage.  Leaders need vision, passion, and a great relationship with their followers.  However, at the end of the day, it all comes down to results.  Without success, as the 2004 Olympic Basketball team and the band of children following their leader discovered, all the vision, passion, and camaraderie matters little. 

The final trait that warps around the other three and holds them together is success, results, and positive transformations.  As Gini & Green (2013) said, “All forms of leadership are about transformation.  Leadership is not about maintaining the status quo; it is about initiating change in an organization” (p. 7).  Change is always difficult.  It requires strong leaders with deep perseverance to continue moving forward when times are challenging.  Leaders are defined by their results.  If people and processes remain the same after the leader moves on, it begs the question “Did the leader lead?”  Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked: leadership is defined by results, not by attributes” (Gini & Green, 2013). 

Leadership is not for the faint-of-heart.  It is difficult, challenging, and can be exhaustively frustrating.  However, no matter the toil, when a person believes in a better way and has the desire to bring it to life, they suddenly find themselves connected with others and generating collaborative enthusiasm.  Before long, there is a movement, a change initiative that inspires hope for a better organization and a better life.  At the end of our days our life is often measured by results and the question we all ask: “Did I make a difference?”  Passionate leaders with a vision for a better tomorrow joining forces with other like-minded people can count on producing long-lasting results.  Whether the change is organizational or personal, it’s the leader in all of us that shouts, “Follow me!” as we journey toward a better tomorrow.

Steve

References:

Brown, D.R. (2011). Organization development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Education, Inc.

Cohn, J., & Moran, J. (2011). Why are we bad at picking good leaders? San Francisco,

CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gini, A., & Green, R.M. (2013). 10 virtues of outstanding leaders. Malden, MA: John

Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Maxwell, J. (2000). Failing forward. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.