You probably can think of a manager you have known that consistently demonstrated that he or she believed power comes from control. One or more of these phrases likely describes this type of manager:

  • Micro-manages everything
  • Demands to be “in-the-loop” on every decision
  • Instructs you to not make a move before “running that by him/her”
  • Hoards critical information as if that information was a secret
  • Says things like “you don’t need to know that” or “don’t question, just do,” etc.
  • Makes sure you understand that he/she is “in the know” about things from upper management, but rarely shares any of that information.
  • He or she is a bottleneck in the decision making process.

This type of manager works under the illusion that power comes from control – controlling information, controlling employees, and controlling decisions. Unfortunately, this illusion leads directly to building a reputation as a power-hungry manager, a manager that does not empower others, wants all the credit, and that is much less effective comparatively speaking in terms of getting things done and certainly in terms of having an engaged and innovative team.

Real Power is found in Empowerment

So, where does truly effective power in management originate? Effective managers either intuitively know or have learned through trial and error that real power comes only through empowering those around you, specifically those that work for you. Whether you are a small business owner building that core team to grow your business or a team manager in a larger company, I am suggesting to you that real power, real traction in terms of creating a team that feels motivated and accountable to move forward, can be created by ensuring that you empower your direct reports to do their jobs and guide them as they flourish instead of controlling their every move. So, how do you empower your team? Below are key steps to take to ensure you move towards empowerment and avoid management by control.

Hire the Right Team

I include this as the first step because there are employees out there that just want to be told what to do and these types of employees actually undermine empowerment. If you are hiring, hire individuals that embrace and desire autonomy, demonstrate good judgment in making decisions, and can show you successful results in the past that were a result of their own skills and decision making process. If you inherit a team and you find that there are individuals on that team that bring you every decision to make or every problem to solve without first trying to work through that on their own, then you will find yourself just doing their job and you should replace them.

Release Control

The next step is to communicate clearly to your team that you are not there to control every decision and activity and that you expect them to use their own judgments in solving problems and making decisions. Yes, of course offer to give guidance or even weigh in where needed, but make sure you set the expectation that if they bring you an issue they are struggling with that you want to hear their own thinking and suggestions first and serve more as a guide and advisor.

Partner with vs. Delegate

Delegation is a tricky thing. Delegation can be a good thing, but there is always the connotation that someone else is really responsible and they are just allowing you to do this for them. I prefer the concept of partnering with team members. In other words, ensure each team member knows their role, provide the context of the various work that needs to get done, and ask team members to partner with you to ensure specific things get done. Your team has goals to attain, you are leading the team and you want strong partners that ensure these things get done and partners that are willing to be accountable for their specific tasks, projects, and goals. While you may claim this is just a game of wording, I have found that those working for me as partners see themselves differently than someone that believes I am delegating my tasks to them.

Evaluate Successes and Failures Together

You will not always agree with decisions that your team makes. In fact, your team members will likely make some decisions that prove to be the wrong decisions. How do you deal with this? For new team members, you may find it helpful to ask them to make decisions and then present those to you before implementation, at least for a few months, as a way for the two of you to understand how you both think about solving problems or making decisions. This gives you an opportunity to challenge their thinking and guide them towards self-discovery of better solutions. As a general rule, when you empower employees to do their jobs, you will likely want to set up regular meetings to discuss progress and decisions made so that you have the forum for discussing any successes and failures together. You allow mistakes, but you provide wisdom and guidance as a learning opportunity vs. simply trying to control what is done ahead of time.

Don’t Punish Autonomy, Coach Repeated Mistakes

I have always told those that work for me that I know they are going to make mistakes, because I make them too. However, I also tell them to not make the same mistakes over and over again, but to learn and grow through mistakes. A manager should resist scolding or being critical of someone for having initiative and exercising autonomy. However, a manager has a specific responsibility to coach team members to grow and learn from mistakes and not constantly repeat them. There is a distinct difference in that approach in that one approach pushes “control” and the other advances empowerment.

Make them Better and Remove Obstacles in their Way

As you consider each member of your team, it is important to consider how you can help them improve. Ask them what training would be helpful. Have regular coaching sessions where they can simply ask you how you do things or how they can improve a specific skill. Look for opportunities to offer constructive feedback that will give them a “growing moment.” Expect them to improve and let them know you expect them to improve and in what ways.

With that also comes the responsibility as a manager to assist in removing obstacles that may be in their way. Can you get funding for training? Can you work to resolve issues with inadequate processes, uncooperative departments, or systems that are missing key components? Can you help them with that truly difficult customer? A manager that empowers their team not only pushes them do be accountable but also works to eliminate any barriers they encounter.

You Don’t Lose any Power, You Gain a Powerful Team

If you follow these suggestions when building your team, you will discover two beneficial results. First, your team will get more done. Second, you will gain influence and power, not lose any at all.