Why Empowerment Is Not Enough

We hear a lot about empowerment. That’s great. But it’s more impactful if we combine empowerment with something else. Inspiration. Empowerment with inspiration is essential for increased engagement, creativity, and productivity. Studies have shown that engaged employees perform 20% better. Empowerment alone is not enough. We need to both empower and inspire our teams.

I’m sure you are aware the words Inspire and empower are not interchangeable. Empowerment is externally-driven, while inspiration is internally-driven.

Empowerment is having the authority and tangible resources to get a job done.

Being inspired is having a strong internal desire to do something. It is from your spirit and pulls you to take action. It should not to be confused with motivation which is an external influence pushing you to do a particular thing. We inspire others by sharing encouraging words or role-modeling a behavior, style, or skill.

A co-worker once shared she could not get her son to focus on his school work, although he was intelligent and had all he needed to be successful in school. She brought him to her office to participate in our “Take Our Children to Work Day” activities. This is a national day in the US where children are given a glimpse into the working world. My colleague was surprised at how that day changed her son’s trajectory. He was amazed at what he saw Scientists do during the lab demonstrations. That inspired him to aspire to be an Engineer and motivated him to work harder at school.

I have written much on empowerment and how to empower others. Inspiring others is different. It’s more than just nice sounding punchy phrases hanging on your wall in picture frames with words like Be the Light, Safety First, or Take Courage. Effective leaders inspire by being inspirational, not by posting placards on office walls. What about you? How do you inspire others?

Benefits of Inspiring Employees

Inspiration is a foundational pillar in a high-performing organization. Why? Here are just a few reasons.

• Inspired employees deliver higher productivity. Inspired employees are motivated to perform at their best, are more agile in handling change, and are more driven to overcome challenges. This is a hard link to the bottom line of any business.

• Inspired employees cultivate a healthy work culture from their positive attitudes and forward-focused approach. Teamwork and collaboration are byproducts of a healthy work environment.

• Inspired employees deliver increased innovation. Inspiration triggers creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. The applications range from poetry to artwork to management to technology development.

The benefits of empowering a person or team are clear. Adding inspiration delivers the magic.

How to Inspire Others

We already know that effective leaders demonstrate a capacity to inspire others to live better lives, go farther, and reach higher goals. That means inspiring others starts with you. You have to be inspirational to inspire others. There are several actions you can take to inspire others.

• Show that you care. People will follow you if they know that you care. Be empathetic. Share feedback in a way that will help them grow. Be compassionate as well as recognize and celebrate their successes. In one survey in the US, 90% of workers believe empathetic leadership results in higher job satisfaction.

• Take time to listen. Make listening a significant part of your communication.  Allow clear and open two-way communication which starts with listening. It is reported that when employees feel heard, they are 4.6 times more likely to perform at their best.

• Lead by example. People gravitate to good role models. Demonstrate the qualities of an exceptional leader. This includes qualities such as integrity, diligence, and mastery.

• Set high goals and standards. Having high standards and doing good quality work attracts others to you. Inspirational leaders do not settle for mediocrity.

• Be positive. Your attitude dictates the environment you create. A positive attitude sets the tone for a healthy, growthful, and inspiring environment. Authentic passion inspires action and enthusiasm.

• Be authentic and trustworthy. People will follow who they trust. Trustworthy people are authentic. The resulting emotional connection drives loyalty.

There are many paths to inspire others. Being courageous can inspire others to be bold. Being exceptional at what you do can inspire others who look up to you. Being the first to accomplish something could inspire generations to follow your footsteps. Regardless of the path of inspiration, use the above list as a foundation to build on.

Adding inspiration while empowering others is essential to develop a 21^st-century dynamic, motivated, and high-performing organization. It increases productivity, unlocks creativity, and fuels personal growth. Don’t just empower. Inspire.

Empowered Leaders Reflection

What are you going to do differently so you do not only empower but also inspire others?

Would you share your thoughts in the Reply section below?