Guest Blogger Series – Enabling Others to Act

Hello all. I am Colleen Kelly, the Chief Financial Officer for KenCrest. I am happy to be Marian’s guest blogger for the month of August. My blog series will share some of my thoughts on leadership. This is my second blog, and the topic is Enabling Others to Act. I welcome any feedback; let me know your thoughts.

The definition of a leader is likely to differ from one person to another. And depending on the circumstances and the situation, we may all be leaders at something. So, how do we define leadership?

Sometimes, it’s easier to define leadership by defining what it isn’t, for instance:

Leadership isn’t about being great, leadership is about enabling others to be great. – David McQueen

I really like this quote because a good leader knows that their success rests on the success and accomplishments of their team.  With an effective team, you can achieve so much more than you would on your own. As the quote says, Leadership is not about doing it all yourself; it is about delegating and enabling others to act.

“Enabling others to act” is one skill that can help you create an environment for your team that allows them to learn and grow while achieving your organization’s goals. Enabling others to act helps people act on their own initiative and feel a sense of ownership. It will increase the success of your projects, develop more leaders, and, in the end, make your job easier. And when your team is successful, you’re successful.

Some ways I have used to enable others to act

1. Ensuring people grow in their jobs by learning new skills they need to succeed through training or coaching.
2. Demonstrating trust and freedom by providing people with the opportunity to make decisions and by allowing people to address tasks or problems differently than you would.
3. Developing cooperative relationships by treating others with dignity and respect and actively listening to diverse views.

There are many ways to empower others; these are just a few. Consider the methods you have used. What other approaches might you try? Consider the potential outcomes we could unlock together if we all put these into practice.

By enabling others to act, we share in their accomplishments and build stronger and more motivated teams. We increase the efficiency and success of our projects and develop more leaders, which benefits the agency and, more importantly, the individuals themselves.