Principle-Centered Leadership
by Stephen R. Covey
Conditions of Empowerment
Let's look more deeply at six critical conditions of empowerment necessary
to release the enormous capacity within your people to meet and exceed the
needs of customers and other important stakeholders:
n Trustworthiness- The foundation to all effectiveness and empowerment
is trustworthiness. It means that individuals demonstrate both strong personal
character and professional competence. They are committed to the shared
mission and values of your organization.
One indication of character is reflected in the way we deal with others.
How leaders are perceived to treat those they lead will have a far more
significant impact on employee performance than the organizational mission
statement hanging on the wall. An empowering leadership style requires open
communications, not closed; releasing people through win-win performance
agreements, not controlling them; and synergistic approaches to making decisions
and giving directions, not authoritarian methods.
n Trust- Trust is the fundamental principle underlying and sustaining
long-term, interdependent relationships. It is the fruit of trustworthiness.
An environment of trust requires individual and organizational trustworthiness.
Have you ever experienced a trusting relationship, sustained over time,
in the absence of trustworthiness? You can see how the two principles are
inseparable. Trust in a culture is the key factor that enables people to
unleash their unique, creative capacities.
n A system of win-win agreements- Too often, workers misunderstand
what is expected of them; they become frustrated when lack of clarity around
guidelines or available resources makes their supervisor or customers upset.
In their simplest application, win-win agreements represent an ongoing,
mutually beneficial relationship between two or more people or organizations
who work together. They consistently engage in open, synergistic interaction,
always seeking optimum, mutual benefit.
Win-win agreements mean constant understanding and commitment around five
key elements to guide the collaborative behavior of the parties: desired
results, guidelines, resources, accountability and consequences. When an
organization supports such relationships systemically, win-win agreements
create an effective framework for interdependent cooperation.
n Self-directed work teams- When leaders structure their organizations
to support self-directed work teams, they create a key condition of empowerment.
Employees who engage in team and individual self-direction create a powerful
force for self-motivated continuous improvement. Special training may be
necessary to help people accept the responsibility and develop the skills
for effective self-supervision. Deep understanding and commitment to the
mission, values and strategy of the organization are essential. The payoff
in a leaner, more flexible, responsive and productive organization can be
incredible.
n Aligned strategy, structure and systems- Organizational trustworthiness
requires alignment-the harmonious interaction of mission, values, strategy,
structure, systems and management style with the realities of stakeholder
needs and the environment.
Shared mission and vision, including values based on principles, form the
heart and core of organizational alignment. Strategy then reflects specific,
significant goals, plus the action plan to accomplish the mission and fulfill
the vision. Strategy must recognize the realities of the marketplace and
the changing needs of customers and other key stakeholders. Structure, systems
and processes then support the mission and strategy-and each other.
n Accountability through 360° feedback- Within a culture of
high trust, the entire organization can participate in a system of regular
written and verbal 360 feedback. If the desired results have been clearly
defined and the other elements of a win-win agreement are in place, trustworthy
people know better than anyone else how they are performing. People don't
need their supervisors to judge their performance; they can judge themselves.
When employees have no system of feedback except annual performance appraisals,
the information comes too late, too general and from the wrong source to
be truly empowering. "How am I doing in meeting your needs?" should
be a question to all stakeholders that every employee and organization should
be able to answer regularly.
By creating and sustaining these six critical conditions of empowerment,
quality performance will improve significantly. And so will the quality
of life for your people.
About the author . . .
Stephen R. Covey is chairman of the Covey Leadership Center and author
of Principle-Centered Leadership and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People.
Keith A. Gulledge is vice president and senior consultant with Covey
Leadership Center's Professional Resource Group.
© 1996 Covey Leadership Center. For more information, telephone (800)
553-8889.
