Leadership Through Empowerment

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I've always believed that you can do just about anything you set your mind to, provided you're willing to do what it takes to get the job done. I mean, it's easy to get things done; you just map out your plan, pick up your shovel, and start moving dirt.

But what if you're trying to organize and manage a function that simply cannot be handled by a single individual, like a department, or an STC chapter?

When this is your task, your key goal must be to delegate the responsibility, then empower that delegate with the authority to actually see the job through.

The first part is almost intuitive, like some teacher handing out assignments in the fourth grade. Make sure your people know what your expectations are, that they share your goals, that they "have a stake" in meeting those goals.

The second part is hard; it means that you actually have to trust whoever you're asking to help you out to use their best skills, talents and creativity toward accomplishing their tasks. In a nutshell, you have to "empower" them with the level of authority needed to accomplish the task at hand.

Assigning responsibility without sharing authority is like making someone a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but leaving out the bread. They know what they're supposed to chew, but have absolutely no way to handle, no way to manage the project. As you might expect, what they end up with is a mess, one that almost always gets on your hands as well.

I've had managers (both work and STC) who simply weren't willing to give over that authority to get things done; such jobs can be real nightmares. What else can they really be? You are told to get something done, but your manager withholds the very tools that you need most.

I've come to believe that such managers don't really want their people to succeed without them. Such people comprise the bureaucrats of the world; they (unwittingly or not) set up the unhappy people who work for them for failure at nearly every turn.

I've also had managers who, in essence, said "You've got the responsibility and the clout. Here's what I need, here's what you need -- now go to it." This approach helps each of us to excel, to apply our creativity to specific effort. By empowering others, managers don't just manage; they lead.

Now, not all of us will ever be in the position to lead a team, but many will. It may sometime come to your door, perhaps an assignment to head a task force or committee at work. Perhaps it will be a plea to manage an STC chapter committee, or maybe even run for chapter office. Be ready.

Think now about the kind of manager you want to be. Will you inspire confidence and loyalty, or demand compliance? Will you command respect and admiration, or foment fear and insecurity among your ranks? In essence, will you emerge a leader and problem solver, or become just another petty bureaucrat protecting a small bit of territory in a big world?

The key to your answer lies in how much authority you're willing to share.

Christopher Juillet has held nearly every position in the Southeastern Michigan chapter of STC, including chapter president. He is manager of STC's C&IC PlC, and a self-employed technical writer and technical publishing consultant based in southeastern Michigan.