How to Empower

She barely reached five feet tall but possessed rock-solid confidence. She knew what needed to be done and how to make it happen. I could always count on her for good advice. Meet Kim Woods, my former manager at Victoria British.

I was 18 years old when I worked as a Customer Service Representative for this British motor company. It was here that I was exposed to some valuable lessons taught by an empowering leader. Kim Woods was a capable leader who consistently gave her best. She also knew how to pull the best out of those she led. She was what I would call an “empowering leader.”

An empowering leader helps others give their best. Their leadership energy is invested in people rather than just tasks. They create momentum out of genuine desire for each person to be a successful in their unique roles. This is what Kim Woods modeled for me some 20 years ago.

As I reflect on my experiences under her leadership, there are at least four things she did to empower me to give my best.

She helped me set measurable goals.
Kim helped me understand the value of setting goals to determine direction and clarify what needs to be accomplished. Facing a day without a goal in mind ends with wasted time and energy. When she and I set out to help a customer, we always began by defining the direction we needed to go. By day’s end we were able to measure our successes.

She coached me in areas that needed improvement.
Kim showed me that a leader is not there to fix my problems. Instead, she helped me figure out how I could overcome problems. She didn’t need me to dump my problem in her lap. What she needed was a person who could provide solutions, a problem solver. When I was looking for the easy way out, she challenged me to overcome the situation.

She gave me space to breathe.
Kim modeled how a solid leader gives people space. A leader who operates out of trust naturally encourages team members to take personal ownership of the goal. Kim refused to micromanage every detail. She helped set reasonable boundaries which led to appropriate decision making authority necessary to handle most problems. When there were unique situations that called for extraordinary solutions, Kim listened to recommendations and guided toward a solid solution.

She believed in me.
The most important lesson Kim taught me was to believe in people. There was never a doubt in my mind that she believed in me. Her words of encouragement were frequent, and her willingness to coach showed she cared. I learned that a leader takes care of those in whom they believe. Kim took an overconfident teenager with a lot of passion and little sense and began the process of developing a leader. A leader who believes in those they are leading multiplies their leadership. Leaders create leaders.

The leadership lessons I learned from Kim have helped me immeasurably. She taught me that empowering people multiplies a leader’s personal potential. Her willingness to empower others rather than holding the power closely inspired many to be more than they thought possible. She could have refused to trust the overconfident kid who wanted her position. Instead, she boldly stepped into the unknown and ultimately inspired a deep gratitude and respect that has lived on for more than 20 years. That’s what I call empowering.

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