Empowering Leadership

I had a family emergency last month. I was out for a full week with little prep time to hand anything off.

While I was gone, three key events were on the calendar: a board meeting with a new format, a special directors meeting regarding legislative changes, and a senior leadership meeting with a new executive team.

My team didn't wait for me. They didn't call asking what to do. They just led. When I finally returned, my boss reached out to tell me how well everything had gone with every one of them.

I wasn't surprised.

John Maxwell says leadership is influence. And the real test of that influence is what happens when you are not in the room.

Titles don't make people lead. Empowering them does.

When your team can hold the room and make the calls without you, you have not made yourself unnecessary, you have empowered.