5 Steps to Empower Your Team to be Their Best

How do you engage and motivate your team to be their best?

What difference will it make to you as a leader, and to your team members if you empower your team? Well, for starters, you won't spend nearly as much time checking up on people, putting out fires, having those difficult conversations or lighting fires under people who are having trouble getting going.

We can share a big vision and inspire...but you also need to empower your team to fulfil their role and do their very best in seeing the vision through with momentum and a sense of purpose.

Empowerment means we give people the trust to be their very best. It means to equip, resource and train others to embrace the wider vision inspired by you as a leader. It means trusting your team members with autonomy to contribute with confidence as you move towards something extraordinary.

Empower your team to deal with the new challenges a vision may bring, be it new technologies, a new political landscape, different industry trends or organisational restructure.

Empower your team to stand with you to create an extraordinary, amazing desired future.

Empower your group members to help shape the vision and win with you.

When people feel empowered, they will be at their best and get their best results. When your team is running smoothly and each person feels empowered to do their own tasks, it frees you up to do what you're supposed to be doing – which is to be the best leader you can be.

Training and empowering your team with everything needed has to be a vital practice within your organisation, business or department. Such a practice needs to be one of your company’s standards, not something to be overlooked and considered for next year’s budget.

Here are five steps to help you be that great leader, who inspires and empowers others:

1. Envision: Begin with a shared vision. It is vitally important to have a clear vision of what you are doing and why. This is true for both personal and business ventures. Your vision can guide your decisions as well as your directions to others.

Great leaders envision a compelling and vibrant future. A clear view with a shared purpose.

Once you know your vision and you're using it as your guidance system, empower your group by describing the vision to them. Paint a picture of your vision in full, living colour, so that they can be just as committed to it as you are. Share your passion and enthuse.

Enthusiasm can only aroused by two things: first, an ideal which takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite, intelligible plan for the carrying that ideal into practice. ~ Arnold Toynbee

When you have a common vision, you will also have clearer communication and a shared language so that your team feel included in the vision.

2. Expectations: Expect the best. When you approach people with the attitude that you expect them to succeed, they will usually rise to meet your expectations (unfortunately, the opposite is also true). If you can grant a level of trust and responsibility, and give your group members the benefit of the doubt, they will feel empowered to do their best. This does require a shift from you, and it's sometimes quite a deep one. Trust is key here, including trusting yourself.

You may need to let go of some control, challenge your preconceptions, and have faith in results that you haven't seen yet. And remember, others will be better than you at some tasks - that’s why you appointed them, after all. Let them shine. Have the elegant goal of becoming your best self and have the same expectation of others.

Give yourself permission to try this, trusting that you can always make adjustments or grab back some control (if you absolutely need to).

At Google (the Forbes top company work for in 2014), 91% of employees report that they often or almost always carry meaningful responsibilities within the organisation.

3. Engage: Personalise your approach. It's very easy – and common – to assume that your team will be motivated by the same types of rewards, praise, directions and rationales that you are. Yet this isn't always the case.

You don't need to send out long questionnaires or get personally involved in every detail of their lives, but get to know your team well enough that you will be able to use motivators that are meaningful to each individual person. There are a variety of different messages that can engage individuals and by having greater flexibility, you will have more opportunity to empower.

By knowing the commitments, aspirations and style of each group member, it is easier to understand how best to engage that individual. A personal approach will also help to ensure that the right person is always working on the right task.

4. Enlighten and be enlightened: Ask for feedback. More than an open door policy that says you're available, show that you're actually interested. Show you actually care and want to encourage. Ask people for informal, spontaneous feedback and listen to their answers. Have the courageous conversation. Step out of your comfort zone and be confident in this type of conversation. The quality of your conversations will reflect in the quality of the relationship with your team.

Ask your team to write down their ideas and have somewhere to store them where they're organised and easy to retrieve. You may choose to have a vision and ideas wall.

Ask about what the group is working on together, but also ask specifically about your leadership, e.g., "What did you find useful about that meeting?" "How can I make my directions more useful?" "Is there anything else you need from me that would help you complete those tasks?"

You never know when the combination of an open door policy and open-ended questions could inspire the next great idea that will propel your vision forward!

5. Evaluate and reflect: Adjust your course when needed. Demonstrate to your group members that you were listening when they shared their feedback.

Implement some of their suggestions, try new things and ask follow-up questions. It is a sign of flexibility, humility, courage and strength to open yourself up to new possibilities that you didn't think of yourself. For your group members, it will be incredibly rewarding to have someone value their opinion and ideas.

Further, it is key to understand yourself, know and communicate values.

If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent.~Dolly Parton

The more you know and understand about your personal values, strengths and skills, the more you will be able to integrate these strategies into your natural leadership style.

When you empower your group members or your team with these five strategies, you will be fulfilling your true role as a leader. After all, you have an immense opportunity and responsibility when you are leading a group of people. You will have a considerable impact on the activities of the team, the results they achieve, and their lives as a whole.

Empower them to be their best, and that will free you up to be your best. Together, you will create an optimal environment for realising your vision.

If you’re in a leadership position or aspiring for that next role and need help in developing and engaging your team, building confidence or developing leadership skills and presence book in a time to talk with me here now where we can discuss your leadership in more detail.

Marcie

Leadership Strategist, Coach, Speaker and founder of KAMAKA (executive coaching firm for high level professional women) Marcia Buxton coaches and speaks on confidence, transformational leadership, resilience, cultural identity, diversity and developing leadership presence that creates a professional legacy. 

Kamaka hosts regular leadership development programmes, roundtable and events including a seminar series on Leadership for Women ~ for women on self-awareness, diversity, equality, presence, confidence and leadership identity.

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Can I help? If you’re a leader or aspiring to leadership and you need help creating a vision for your next career step or want clarity on your goals,  then simply book in a time to talk with me here now where I cover this with you in more detail.

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