One of my executive coaching clients asked a very common question the other day:
“How can I get my team to follow my direction without constantly having to check in and enforce compliance?”
She went on to share that she frequently feels like she is always pushing her team to get things done, but it doesn’t seem to work.
“It is exhausting and doesn’t seem effective.” she said.
She was right!
When leaders rely on constant oversight and enforcement, it can feel like pushing a boulder uphill. This approach can wear out both the leader and the team, eroding trust, and diminishing morale.
Fortunately, there’s a more sustainable and effective approach to leadership that fosters autonomy and trust within the team.
This approach also helps you get the buy-in you need, and that’s why I wanted to share it with you today.
Let’s dive in.
Are You Directing or Empowering?
When leaders focus too heavily on directing, they unintentionally limit their team’s potential.
By relying predominantly on direct oversight and control, they create an environment where every action requires approval and supervision. This approach can help them feel in control, but it inhibits the team’s ability to take initiative and leads to reduced innovation and morale. It can also damage relationships.
If this method becomes the norm, leaders spend more time managing minutiae than fostering a culture of trust and autonomy. They become more concerned with ensuring compliance than empowering their team to excel independently.
As a result, they miss out on the diverse perspectives and innovative solutions their team could offer, ultimately stifling the team’s growth and performance.
In my experience, this is one of the most significant pitfalls for a leader.
By overemphasizing direction and control, they eliminate the opportunity for their team to shine and hold back their greatest contribution—the empowerment and growth of their team.
3 Subtle Shifts Toward Empowering Leadership
Reflecting on my client’s challenge, I suggested three subtle yet powerful shifts in her leadership approach. We discussed the merits of each shift and explored why it works.
I wanted to share them with you to illustrate how small changes in your leadership style can lead to significant improvements in team performance and morale.
Here are the three shifts:
Shift from Giving Instructions to Asking Questions
The Subtle Shift: Instead of providing detailed instructions for every task, ask open-ended questions that encourage team members to think critically and find solutions.
Why It Works: This approach fosters a culture of problem-solving and innovation and helps with communication. It shows that you trust your team’s abilities and value their input, which boosts their confidence and engagement. When team members feel their ideas are respected, they are more likely to take ownership of their work and develop creative solutions.
Shift from Monitoring Progress to Celebrating Milestones
The Subtle Shift: Transition from closely monitoring every step of a project to celebrating key milestones and achievements along the way.
Why It Works: By focusing on milestones, you shift the emphasis from what’s left to be done to what has already been accomplished. This keeps the team motivated and reinforces a sense of progress and achievement. Regularly acknowledging and celebrating successes helps build a positive and supportive team culture.
Shift from Enforcing Compliance to Encouraging Autonomy
The Subtle Shift: Move away from enforcing strict compliance with rules and procedures, and instead, create an environment where team members have the autonomy to make decisions and take initiative.
Why It Works: Autonomy is a crucial motivation and job satisfaction driver. Dan Pink wrote extensively about this in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and explained that when team members have the freedom to make decisions, they are more invested in their work and more likely to go above and beyond. This shift also reduces the bottleneck effect of waiting for approvals, allowing quicker decision-making and more agile responses to challenges.
Conclusion
Empowering leadership is about making subtle but meaningful changes that encourage autonomy, creativity, and a sense of ownership among your team members.
By shifting from giving instructions to asking questions, monitoring progress to celebrating milestones, and enforcing compliance to encouraging autonomy, you can create a more dynamic, motivated, and high-performing team.
These subtle shifts can have a profound impact on your team’s success and your effectiveness as a leader.
How to Get Started Today
If you want to shift from directing to empowering your team, there’s no better time to start than now.
Begin by incorporating small, intentional changes into your daily interactions. For example, ask open-ended questions during meetings instead of giving instructions. Encourage your team members to think critically and develop their solutions. This simple, effective change can immediately foster a more innovative and autonomous environment.
Next, make it a habit to celebrate milestones. Recognize and acknowledge your team’s achievements regularly through team meetings, emails, or even informal gatherings. Celebrating milestones reinforces progress and builds a positive, motivated team culture.
Finally, create opportunities for autonomy. Gradually shift responsibilities to your team members, allowing them to make decisions and take initiative. Provide the necessary support, but step back to let them lead. This shift will help build their confidence and drive, leading to a more dynamic and high-performing team.
If you’re ready to transform your leadership approach further, let’s discuss my subtle shifts coaching program—a bespoke offering designed to help you empower your team and enhance your leadership skills.
Schedule a meeting to learn more and take the first step toward becoming a more empowering leader.
