Lesson 3: 3 Keys to Letting Go and Empowering Leaders
Why do we hold tightly to some things and let go so easily of others? For example:
When my boys were old enough to load and unload the dishwasher – we were ready to let go! Yes, we had to show them how to rinse and load correctly.
When a team member was ready to manage sending mail chimp newsletters for Insight – yes, I’ll let go.
Some aspects of our life at home and work are easy to delegate and empower others to take on, but other things we cling to like we are trying to run next to a motorcycle to hold it up.
When Titus started riding the motorcycle, I couldn’t keep up with him and it was a bit terrifying. There was nothing I could do if something went wrong. I couldn’t answer his questions. If he started to fall, I couldn’t catch him. If there was a barrier he got to before my arrival, I couldn’t remove it. Letting go was terrifying.
I was proud of him and nervous all at the same time. He was going too fast for me to hold on and keep a semblance of control.
I think that’s the key. We want the leaders we empower to move too fast for us to hold on. If we are holding on, we are in control … that means we are never fully empowering anyone. That keeps us from doing what only we can do and it keeps our team members from reaching their potential.
If you want your business to grow you need to stop holding on when employees are ready for you to let go.
Here are 3 keys to actually empowering leaders:
Show them | Effective leaders model the way. They set the example. The first thing you need to do is take the time to show them how to do what you want them to do. Show them the details, the nuances, the process.
Watch them | Take the time to let your team member show you how they can perform the task, the project, etc.. This does not mean you are standing over their shoulder, but you need to build in moments for the team member to show you how they are thinking, why they made the choices they made, and how they are pursuing successful results. Make any needed corrections and let them work on it again.
Celebrate them | When the goal is set and met – celebrate. Celebrate not only with a great coffee or lunch, but also by choosing to not sneak in and do those tasks any longer. This is a hard one for me. Yes – you can do the job, but if we keep on stepping in, we will never experience the joy of developing our leaders and we will always be holding ourselves back from reaching our full potential.
Sidenote: If you need help learning to coach instead of chase give us call.
