Leadership at its core is about helping others grow and become leaders in their own right. A powerful and long-lasting approach to supporting leadership growth is to help a person help themselves.
When someone can see that they already have within them a deep well of resource and know-how, they will move forward with confidence and determination.
5 Ways to Empower Leadership Growth
#1 Help them own the decision.
There are many maps, just not your maps! Encourage people to listen to advice, and choose their own path. When they do, commitment deepens, and the likelihood of success expands.
#2 Seek teachable moments.
Ask reflective questions to lock in learning and practice looking backward to look forward. Use open-ended questions such as: What could you have done differently?, What helped you achieve success?, and What is possible now?
#3 Trust the gut.
The smarter and faster brain will usually know the answer first. In our data-driven world, we can discredit what our body has to teach us. Helping someone tap into their inner wisdom and intuition is a powerful tool.
#4 Listen first.
Don’t assume that what worked for you will work for them. Asking better questions will get better answers. Take time to hear what’s going on, and allow the person to reach the answer by themselves.
#5 Be a coach.
A coaching approach breeds self-assurance and self-respect. Encourage people to seek out sounding boards, rather than problem solvers: Champions, rather than helpers and people who want success for them on their own terms.
Our work as leaders is to empower others toward their own greatness and success. People may not always know the answer, but when they can count on themselves, they will create solutions to get there.
Which of the five ways to empower leadership growth seem most relevant to you?
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This article was previously published on Leadershipfreak.blog under a Creative Commons License.
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