EP 43: Controlling vs. Empowering Leaders - a podcast by Chip Wilson, Randy Lane

Is it better to control or empower? Sometimes successful business leaders let their leading roles get the best of them…and not in a good way.There are two common leadership styles: controlling and empowering. Controllers impose external controls on their followers to keep them in line. This negatively affects employees and work they produce. Controlling leaders fear something being done wrong.What’s missing is trust. A strong level of trust with your team will help you communicate more effectively. A trusted team is an empowered team.Empowering leaders understand the capabilities of their team. They delegate tasks based on what they think each person can handle. They allow their team to grow and do more than they may have thought possible. They check to see if they need any help. They don’t do the project for them. Remember the old adage: “Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Constant communication and feedback are critical.One recent study wanted to see how kids dealt with boundaries. One school had recess on a playground with no fence. Another school had recess on a playground with a fence. In both scenarios, teachers stayed inside to let the kids make up their own minds about what to do. On the playground without a fence, the kids stayed closer together. Even though they had no boundaries, they were afraid to explore the unknown. The students with a fence ventured out and explored every inch within the fence.If you give employees boundaries, they’ll take more risks while staying inside the boundaries. Those who aren’t given clearly defined boundaries tend to play it safe since. They don’t understand their limits. They’re not sure how they’ll be graded.Empowered employees perform better because they understand what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and the strategy and goals they’re trying to achieve. The best way to lead is to empower, trust, and give employees the autonomy to do the work inside set boundaries. Clarify the mission and values of your organization, get all members on the same page, and your business will thrive.

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