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Mar 9, 2021 · The best leaders make the purposeful choice to empower everyone they lead, whoever they are, wherever they are. When they do, individuals flourish, and the group works like a well-oiled machine. Let’s look at what it takes to truly empower others and bring your team together around a shared purpose. Start by getting to know your people.
Aug 25, 2015 · 6 Ways to Empower People to Be Their Best. Leadership is shifting from telling everyone what to do, to empowering others to come up with the best and brightest ideas that have never been thought ...
- Laura Garnett
- Overview
- What does it mean to empower someone?
- How can you empower your friends?
- How else can you empower your friends and loved ones?
- How can you empower others as a leader?
- How do you empower yourself?
- How do you feel empowered when you have a mental illness?
1 What does it mean to empower someone?
2 How can you empower your friends?
3 How else can you empower your friends and loved ones?
From self-help books to motivational speeches, you’ve probably heard the term “empowerment” tossed around a few times. But what does this buzzword actually mean? Don’t worry—we’re here to answer all of your frequently asked questions. With a bit of patience and practice, you’ll be able to empower your friends, co-workers, and even yourself.
Empowerment involves helping someone have control and authority over their life.
With empowerment, you aren’t “giving” someone this power or authority.
Listen to them with an open mind.
When your friend opens up to you, try not to share your thoughts right away. Instead, give them plenty of time to say what’s on their mind. Once they’re done sharing, offer some supportive, open-ended questions to help walk your friend through their situation.
If your friend is upset about something their partner said to them, you might ask, “How would you feel if my partner said that to me?”
Being a good listener reminds your friend that their thoughts and experiences are valid and important.
Remind your friend what you love and care about them.
If your friend is going through a rough patch, remind them about how wonderful they are, and how much they mean to you. Let your friend know that you’ll always be there if they need you and that you’ll be happy to lend them a listening ear whenever.
Give your friend or loved one your full attention, and then summarize what they just told you. Then, try to guess what they’re thinking and feeling—taking that extra leap can help your loved one label and acknowledge their own feelings. Feel free to take your validation a step further by normalizing their feelings, and even sharing a similar experience of your own.
You could summarize a conversation by saying, “It sounds like you’re pretty upset that Steve ignored you at work.” Then, you might say, “You’re probably wondering what went wrong, or asking yourself what you could’ve done differently.”
You might say, “I completely get why you’re feeling upset. Being ignored is incredibly hurtful.” You could even share, “I understand how you feel. A few months ago, my friend stopped replying to my texts, and I kept wondering what I did wrong.”
Encourage others to trust themselves.
Compliment the people on your team.
Don’t focus on your most talented employees; instead, praise everyone who gives their best effort at work. Lots of praise may encourage your teammates to grow and improve in the long run.
Give your workers time to succeed.
A little extra time can go a long way in the workplace. While you can’t always set long deadlines, a bit of extra time can give your team members more wiggle room to experiment and explore. In the workplace, extra time equals improved results.
Forgive your team when they mess up.
While mistakes can be frustrating, punishing your team is never the answer. Instead, set aside some time to review what minor and major mistakes look like, so your employees know what to avoid in the future.
For better or for worse, life is full of self-fulfilling prophecies. Let’s say you’re applying for a new job, but you don’t feel very confident. You convince yourself you won’t get the job ahead of time, and you end up performing poorly at the interview, where you don’t end up landing the position. Instead of thinking about what you
do, focus on all the potential opportunities waiting for you out in the world.
Instead of thinking “Today is going to be a bad day,” you might think, “I don’t know what the day will bring, but I’m excited for whatever’s in store!”
Focus on yourself, not the world around you.
In our day-to-day lives, there’s plenty we can’t control. However, you
control how you respond to life’s challenges. Focus on who you are as a person and what you truly stand for. As you live your truth, your success will speak for you.
Own your life experiences instead of feeling ashamed.
Ignore anyone who criticizes your diagnosis, or makes you feel lesser because of your life experiences. Remind yourself that their thoughts and opinions don’t matter and that they don’t get to decide how you feel about yourself.
Try thinking something like, “People who judge me because of my mental illness aren’t worth my time” or “I can’t control what other people think about me, but I
control how I view myself.”
Share your experiences with uneducated people.
If you hear someone making a harsh, judgmental comment about mental illness or mentally ill individuals, take a moment to politely educate them on why their words are hurtful. Then, kindly explain how their comments only add to the stigma of mental illness in the long run.
- 4 min
- 126.3K
- Nicolette Tura, MA
5. Actually Give The Team Ownership Over Specific Projects. This is why the term "empower" gets thrown around far too often. When the team is being told that they are being empowered to take ...
- Share Knowledge. Knowledge can be transformative. It can lead to visions and inspire change. Sharing knowledge also brings people together. So, after discovering a helpful book, tell people about it.
- Share Your Story. Talking openly about personal struggles and triumphs takes courage, but doing so can be both liberating and empowering. It can also serve as a bridge that connects people and drives away loneliness.
- Listen to Other People’s Stories. Listening to others with real attention and empathy can provide them with a meaningful and affirming experience. When people feel heard, they also feel valued.
- Stand Up for Others. Empowerment involves standing up for one’s own rights and the rights of others. When individuals speak out against injustices or mistreatment, they not only support their values; they also can effect real change that brings greater equality to everyone and protects entire communities from abuse.
1. Build Trust. The first step to empowering your team is to trust them. If you don’t trust your team, you won’t give them the autonomy they need to be successful. It also gives them the power and responsibility to make decisions and be held accountable for results. Mistakes are bound to happen.
People also ask
What does it take to truly empower others?
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Feb 17, 2020 · Below are four tips to get you started: 1. Provide clear rules. Define “in scope” vs. “out of scope” decisions. Provide guardrails for what success looks like, criteria to consider, when to just decide vs. seek more input vs. escalate. Clearly communicate who makes which decisions. Establish specific criteria for when decisions must be ...
