Last week while I was on the road I finally got a chance to read the book “The 4-Hour Workweek“, by Timothy Ferriss (check it out here on my Amazon page).
I’ll be posting a full review of the book on March 10 on Joyful Jubilant Learning (bookmark it or subscribe now so you don’t miss it), but I wanted to raise a particular leadership point featured in the book today, because I believe in it so fervently.
I’ll put the point in my own words: “Empowerment Equals Leadership Freedom”
Or perhaps a more pointed subtitle, “Be an Enabler, Not a Disabler”
Ferriss talks about this in a quite different context than I would (he uses it as a means to a different end – stay tuned for the book review), but he makes a powerful case nonetheless for “pushing down” as much responsibility as possible. His key observation:
“It’s amazing how someone’s IQ seems to double as soon as you give them responsibility and indicate that you trust them”
Ah yes, trust. I’ve personally seen someone grow two inches taller upon my utterance of these magic words - “I trust you”.
It is a marvelously enabling string of words – and not without risk. It takes a good degree of courage to let something go, since as humans I think we have a tendency to be control freaks. I can personally attest it’s a pretty strong thing to resist.
But resist we must, because from a leadership perspective enabling reveals something else – our effectiveness in selecting and hiring teammates.
Because if we can’t entrust someone with proper responsibilities commensurate with the job description, we simply shouldn’t hire them. Having too many “disabled” teammates chains a leader to too much minutiae, and gives him or her much less freedom to do what leaders really should be doing – LEADING.
And that’s the kind of freedom that leads us to our own promised land of job fulfillment.
Ferriss included a great quote from Henry David Thoreau in his book that sums it all up very nicely:
“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone”
So set them free, and find the richness in your leadership life.
Popularity: 34% [?]
Subscribe By RSS
Subscribe By E-mail
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
The more we work with leaders and teams, the more apparent it is that all the great stuff happens when there is a background of mutual trust, respect & safety. For the leader of the team, that requires the courage to be accountable for the team’s results and simultaneously cast one’s fate with the results being produced, or not, by others who are “out of control!.” Simple and not easy!
Hi Dwight – thanks for your comment; it’s such a seeming contradiction, isn’t it? “Simple and not easy” indeed!
All the best,
Terry
…as is the idea of letting go of perceived control to make it safe and respectful, only to have much more likelihood of getting what we really want!
Amen Dwight, and thanks again!
Terry
Have you ever tried Yogi Tea? I love the tea but what I really love are the different quotes on each teabag. They repeat, of course, but one that I have gotten quite often is “Share your strengths, not your weaknesses.” Your enabler vs. disabler quote reminded me of that. Our weaknesses usually include insecurity and the need to control minutia, and a feeling that if something goes wrong it will all fall on us as the leaders. Sharing strengths empower others to use their talents to benefit the team. At least that’s what I’ve found.
Really enjoy your posts regarding trust, mutual respect and the importance of hiring the right people. Being able to trust an employee or coworker to operate independently and then observe and share their success with other individuals in the organization is one of the true joys of team management. This is especially true in sales, where I have found catching people doing something right and then broadcasting it to the rest of the organization is a great moral builder and way to let everyone know that you really do recognize and appreciate their efforts. Unfortunately, unlike professional sports teams, there is no “off season” in the business world, so the quicker you can decide where you’re going every year, the better.