Empowering Leaders: Empowering Leaders Lori Armstrong


Overview: Overview Defining a leader Defining the True Pillars of Leadership Exercise and Debriefing Identifying your “personal best” learning goal


Background and History: Background and History What is a leader? An individual who “Embodies” three essential factors: Credibility Factor: Leaders earn their position of stature every day, every encounter, every decision. True Leaders pave the way by holding true to their beliefs and values by “living” not “directing” the experience. Visionary Factor: Leaders are able to not only envision the future, the future they envision is one that can be shared by all who will follow. Inspiration Factor: Leaders understand that building a strong sense of collaborative identity can only be achieved through sincere and genuine reconigition of their teams efforts. They are able to sustain focus and accomplish great heights by personally connecting behaviors to values, values to beliefs, beliefs into action.


Leadership Ladder: Leadership Ladder Values Behaviors Attributes Actions


Empowerment Behaviors: Leadership: Empowerment Behaviors: Leadership Let go of things others can do “Let go of tasks/responsibilities with the intent to develop” Encourage initiative, ideas and risk taking. “Actively promote initiative, creativity, and risk supported under a safe environment for possible failures along the way Ensure that people have goals and know how they’re doing “ Accept the responsibility to establish, clarify and monitor individual/team performance”


Behaviors continued: Behaviors continued Delegate to challenge, develop, and empower. “ Delegate to stretch talents, skills, and knowledge” Coach to ensure success “ Coach to instruct, advise and prepare individuals to high performers” Reinforce good work and good attempts “Reinforce with tangible and positive examples of behaviors activities, accomplishments


Behaviors continued: Behaviors continued Share information, knowledge, and skills “Communicate openly, honestly and often” Value trust, and respect each individual “Understand the privilege that has been entrusted to you… Garnering trust and respect is a full time commitment” Provide support without taking over “ Pave the way….without cementing each brick along the path”


Behaviors continued: Behaviors continued Practice what you preach “Look in the Mirror and like what YOU see”


Kouzes and Posner: Kouzes and Posner Research Model the Way Inspire a shared vision Challenge the Process Enable others to Act Encourage the Heart


Model the Way: Model the Way Find your voice- Clarify your personal values and then expressing them in a style that is authentically your own Set the example- If you want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, you must be a model of the behavior that you expect of others.


Inspire a Shared vision: Inspire a Shared vision Envision the future- Leaders have a desire to make something happen, to change how things are, to create something that no one else has ever created before. Enlist others-Leaders cannot command commitment, they can only inspire it. Leaders ENLIST others in a common vision.


Challenge the Process: Challenge the Process Search for Opportunities- Leaders venture out they do not sit idly by. Experiment and take risks- Approach change through incremental steps and small wins. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed”- Theodore Roosevelt


Enable others to Act: Enable others to Act Foster Collaboration and build trust. This goes far beyond direct reports Strengthen others- When you trust others and give them more discretion, they are more likely to use their energies to produce extraordinary results


Encourage the Heart: Encourage the Heart Recognize Contributions Celebrate the values and victories Genuine acts of caring uplift the spirits and draw people forward.


Guiding the Principles: Guiding the Principles Find your voice Set the Example Envision the Future Enlist Others Search for opportunities Experiment and take risks Foster collaboration Strengthen others Recognize contributions Celebrate the values and victories


Personal Best: Personal Best Recognizing when you were at your “personal best” Interactive dialogue describing your “story”


Exercise: Exercise Sharing your “personal best” Think of a time when you were at your best as a leader….at work, with your family, or in the community Tell your story to the group Group is to “listen” for leadership principles with in the story. Link behaviors that support the guiding principles Be prepared to share


Debrief Personal Bests: Debrief Personal Bests What did you learn that you were able to share with you team? Are you now seeing the behaviors (guiding principles) in others that you have led


Strengths and areas of needed focus: Strengths and areas of needed focus What do you commit to focusing on until next year?