admin Why do leaders struggle to empower followers?
Why leaders struggle to empower followers.
Have you worked for someone who gave you an assignment only to find out later they already completed it themselves? How might that affect a follower’s future behavior? Have you been asked to take the lead on a project, but the supervisor micromanages you through the entire thing? Is this a leader you want to follow? Maybe you are a leader who has acted in these ways. I know I have been on both sides of these toxic, unhealthy leadership mistakes that are all too common.
Leaders must be cautious when making excuses to justify this type of frustrating behavior. “But they are lazy,” you think. Or you think, “They are not dependable.” While this may be true of some, it is not the case with most. Followers want the opportunity to contribute in meaningful ways to the team and when leaders inhibit that process, followers tend to quit trying to exceed expectations. As a leader, what excuses have you used? Learning to empower our followers in ways that engage their best work is difficult.
Why do leaders struggle to empower followers?
There are many reasons, but I want to address one in this article. A leader must be secure enough in themselves to make, own, and learn from mistakes all the while people who report to them are watching. Insecurity is an internal lack of confidence in oneself we all face in one way or another whether we admit it or not. Even those who work hard to appear the most confident person in the room struggle with insecurity. Leaders must find security rooted in being comfortable with themselves as they are. Leaders who empower followers will inevitably face the moment of having to admit “I was wrong.” Therefore, empowering leadership requires a deep sense of security in who one really is. Great leaders have found ways to grow through and address their insecurity as it arises.
Insecurity forces a leader to keep people at a distance by offering directives instead of an EMPOWERING RELATIONSHIP with their followers!
The insecure leader will default to telling followers what to do. Giving directives feels safer than empowering them. It is easier to do and does not require vulnerability or difficult conversations. One of my mentors from the John Maxwell Team, Christian Simpson, tells us that “The very best leaders direct as a last resort!” Why? Because only giving directives creates a barrier between leader and follower by introducing a sense of superiority over the follower. The follower is less than the leader. While there will always be a variety of skill levels, talents, and responsibilities, every person’s value to the team is the same! A leader’s attitudes and behaviors must express this value and encourage team members to give their best work.
3 Ways to Overcome Your Insecurity as a Leader
1) Focus on encouraging followers not pushing your agenda
Leaders easily become self-absorbed because of their full calendars and large to-do lists. Unfortunately, the consequence of this is that followers will settle into doing what is acceptable rather than giving their best. Instead, schedule time to focus on encouraging your followers without an agenda. This must be authentic and specific. However, when it is done well, followers want to give their best work and exceed expectations. In my Effective Communication class, one of the principles from John Maxwell’s book is that “connecting is all about others.” I will tell leaders if communication isn’t about us, it’s time to get over ourselves. If you want to be a leader others want to follow, be encouraging and get over yourself. It’s not about YOU.
2) Expecting consistent growth instead of perfection
Have you been on a team that played scared because of the leader? Often it is because the leader has unrealistic expectations of perfection. Team members focus on not upsetting the boss instead of finding all possible solutions. It stunts creativity because no one wants to get punished or reprimanded for trying something new and it doesn’t work. Instead, leaders should have high expectations but expect consistent growth instead of perfection. When describing a leader’s expectations for results, Jim Rohn says, “Making progress is the name of the game, and here’s how I describe it. Make measurable progress in a reasonable time.” Are team members learning from their mistakes? Are they making progress you can measure in a reasonable amount of time?
I tell leaders in my 15 Laws of Growth class that people develop with consistency over time. John Maxwell describes this as the Law of Consistency which says leaders do not develop in a day, but rather daily. I love it when John Maxwell describes how we will all “suck” when we try something for the first time, so do it. Get the “suck” out of the way and learn from it. Don’t be scared to suck at first because most people do when trying something for the first time. Leaders, don’t be scared to allow your team to suck at first. If you empower them, they can learn from their mistakes. Be consistent in modeling and expecting growth, not perfection. This will lead to the results you want in the long run better than demanding perfection.
3) Offering an empowering relationship instead of a controlling boss
It always starts at the top. A leader’s behavior is the compass that guides the behaviors and decisions of the team. So, if a leader wants a culture and team with leaders, it starts by offering an empowering relationship. The last thing a follower needs is to be bombarded with self-serving directives by an insecure, controlling boss. Leaders want to be empowered, taught, guided, and given permission to learn and grow. Leadership expert Patrick Lencioni* tells leaders to, “Be vulnerable. A leader that is not vulnerable, that is not capable of admitting their mistakes and weaknesses, is not going to be followed.” Another way of saying this is that a leader who is unable to build an empowering relationship will not be followed.
I tell leaders in my class that next-level leaders learn to trade control and perfection for an empowering relationship. John Maxwell describes this in his book, Becoming A Person of Influence, as “empowerment creates a dynamic environment in which leadership happens, not only at the top but throughout the company.” This is it! A leader who wants results must learn to empower other leaders throughout the organization to lead and influence. A leader becomes the servant of leaders when one gets over themselves.
One reason leaders struggle to empower followers is the insecurity they face.
It’s normal for us all to face this internal lack of confidence at times in our lives. Great leaders have learned how to prevent their insecurity from rendering their leadership ineffective, unhealthy, or even harmful. Overcome this insecurity by being a leader who is an encouraging, authentic person, expects growth not perfection, and offers an empowering relationship with your followers!
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References:
*Patrick Lencioni (Culture Requires a Leader, May 2017, From https://www.tablegroup.com/hub/post/culture-requires-a-leader
