(em)Powered

Most of us prefer to work in a state of empowerment.  Some organizations (and leaders) embed empowerment within the culture.  How?  Through...

• A clearly stated vision of "where we're going."
• Persistently sharing successes AND losses between/among team members.
• Affording the safety to take risks.
• Refusal to burden the team with layers of permission requirements.
• Pervasive transparency - in communications, in intent, in support systems, in diagnostics.
• Ensuring legitimate "voice" to ALL stakeholders.
• Minimization of rules and minutiae (a.k.a. bureaucracy).
• Consistent support publicly for work well done (and private reprimands for otherwise).
• Relentless commitment to development, growth, and learning.

While it's great fun to be a part of such environments, the question begs:  What are we doing (as leaders) to create those very conditions?

The quality of the team and it's results is directly proportional to it.  

There is great power in empowerment.