Can you?

That is a question that comes up now and again…as leaders we need to help those around us give the right answer.

A few years ago, one of my children came home and shared what his teach taught them about rephrasing and reframing the”I can’t” statement. They were now to convert the “t” to “try” and switch to saying “I can try” whenever the “I can’t” pops in their heads. This is also very relevant for us as leaders and followers alike.

As leaders, it is not enough to ask those in our sphere of influence to rephrase and reframe, we need to do our part to help and “re-position” them by empowering them. To do this successfully, we need to do these things:

The first thing to consider when you want to empower someone is ask yourself,

“Will I be ENHANCING” or Endangering this individual’s career?”

Enhance means “intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of.”* Endanger means to put at risk.*

There are many opportunities for people to sink or swim and as leaders we must be very thoughtful when we ask those around us to take those opportunities. Empowering others must always result in enhancing, not endangering, them and their careers.

Monitor, not Micromanage. Whenever you empower a person or people, you serve them best by monitoring not micromanaging them. One thing I have learned at work with my team and at home with my children is that everyone needs to make a mistake or two and more importantly learn from it.

The reason why you need to monitor them is to ensure that they do not make mistakes that would endanger or even end their careers.

Praise progress versus poke holes. For some people, it is so easy to focus on what is not going well versus all that is going well. I usually say to those around me that I like celebrating small successes — because they lead to more significant successes.

The example that always comes to mind is a child learning to walk. Have you noticed that as you smile, praise and celebrate the child’s first few steps versus the falls the child gleams with pride and wants to get right up and take more steps.

Open doors versus creating obstacles or opposition. When you empower someone, you should truly desire to see…

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