Len Wright is the CEO of US Anesthesia Partners, Inc. (USAP).
The role of corporate leadership is changing in the 21st century. Traditional top-down management styles are yielding to more collaborative and empowering approaches. As a CEO, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of stepping aside and allowing employees to take the lead. This approach can not only foster empowerment and personal ownership but also help create strong, cohesive teams and bring diverse perspectives to the table.
The Value Of An Empowered Team
An organization cannot succeed without great team members. In my experience, the best ideas come from within an organization, and not always from the top. A responsible leader listens to these ideas, encourages others to exercise their voice, and gives credit where credit is due.
Research shows that when employees feel empowered, they perform better, feel more satisfaction from their jobs, and are more committed to their organizations. When leaders delegate authority and decision-making and provide the necessary support and resources, employees are more likely to feel valued and trusted, which can in turn boost their motivation and engagement. I’ve also found that this sense of ownership can lead to higher levels of accountability.
A study (registration required) published in the Harvard Business Review found that empowering leadership is also effective in enhancing employee creativity. When leaders get out of the way, they create space for diverse perspectives and ideas to flourish. A great example of this is 3M’s “15% Culture,” which encourages employees to spend 15% of their time on projects of their choosing. This policy has led to a number of successful new products over the years, including the Post-it note.
Another significant benefit of empowering employees is the creation of strong, cohesive teams. When leaders step aside and allow team members to lead, it fosters a culture of collaboration and mutual respect. By involving multiple minds in a project, organizations can leverage a broader range of skills, experiences and viewpoints, and team members can learn to rely on each other’s strengths and expertise, leading to more effective problem-solving and innovation.
How Leaders Can Create An Empowered Culture
An important part of creating a culture of empowered and motivated team members is by valuing and cultivating employee curiosity. I’ve found that shifting from a “know-it-all” to a “learn-it-all” culture, where employees are encouraged to keep developing, take risks and learn from their failures, is good for overall corporate growth and health. Promote psychological safety by encouraging open communication and risk-taking; this can create an environment where employees feel safe to express their ideas and to take the lead on projects.
Similarly, emphasize the importance of all employees taking ownership of their work. Giving employees the autonomy to make decisions shouldn’t be confined to only office environments. For example, automakers can actively solicit input from their assembly line workers on ways to improve the product and processes. Slightly reshaping a part or moving a weld spot can increase performance and efficiency and save money. And these are changes that designers and engineers, who are far away from the assembly line, might never envision.
If you’re ready to begin empowering your employees, here are several tactics I have found to be effective:
1. Delegate authority. Trust employees with decision-making responsibilities, and provide them with the necessary resources and support. For example, despite our company’s nationwide reach, it is built on a model of local governance by clinicians in each practice.
2. Prioritize a culture of open communication. Encourage your employees to feel comfortable sharing their ideas and giving feedback, and ensure that employees feel safe taking risks and learn from their mistakes without fear of punishment. Innovation is important for an empowered work culture, and there can’t be innovation if people are afraid of making a mistake. In our company, this policy has led to local clinicians fine-tuning best practices and introducing new technologies in their operating rooms, which have been propagated across the company.
3. Offer employees growth opportunities. Provide employees with training and development programs that can help them expand their skills and advance their careers. You could even hold an annual leadership conference where your top employees are given tools to be more effective and grow their leadership capabilities.
4. Acknowledge meaningful contributions from employees. Consider spotlighting your workers’ achievements and positive reviews on your social media channels, and formally recognize individuals and teams who make a positive difference for your customers and company.
Conclusion
As leaders, we have a responsibility to create an environment where our employees feel trusted, valued and encouraged to take the lead. By knowing when to step aside and get out of the way, you can build stronger teams, foster innovation and achieve your organizational goals.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Read the full article here
