Empower Others To Be Leaders

Empower Others To Be Leaders

One of the biggest thrills I get as middle school principal occurs when I connect with a former student. Yesterday, a young man came by our school for a visit. He is a sophomore at Gettysburg College. He is a committed scholar, leader, and athlete.

Since I’ve known him, most of our conversations have revolved around basketball and leadership. Yesterday afternoon was no different. He brought me up to speed on his academic career and the basketball team at Gettysburg College. Most intriguing to me was the opportunity he had to apply and get accepted into a program at the Garthwaite Leadership Center at the college.

His conversation was flattering to our school because he connected some of the leadership concepts we instill to the students at an early age to the concepts at the Garthwaite Leadership Center. We spoke specifically about the leadership trait of empowerment. He reflected on his middle school career and how at an early age he understood the value of being empowered and empowering others to take creative risks and experience leadership.

Coincidentally, when he came for his visit, I was engaged in an activity with a group of seventh and eighth graders. We were engrossed in scooping ice cream for an ice cream social later that night. He was able to relive the character he experienced as a middle schooler. The short of it is that this group of devoted middle schoolers facilitated the planning and execution of a school/community event that attracted 400 people and connected everyone to our school.

When we went back to my office, he asked me how long I worked in my present position as principal. He wanted to know how I keep up my energy level high. The answer to the energy level was this, “When former students come back to our school, you keep me engaged and inspired. When I see someone that took our concepts and made a commitment to hard work, it makes all the difference in the world for me to continue in this capacity. When I hear you talk about empowering others through leadership because you were empowered, that keeps me coming in each day. It’s the strongest form of flattery that I can receive. Keep up the great work! I am proud of what you are doing.”

Empowerment can make quantum leaps in anyone’s ability to be a leader. Many people cannot share power especially if they are in an authoritative position. Positional power does not readily translate into anyone’s ability to lead. Rather it is a position that can be abused or mishandled by many.

            Take a look in any classroom or board room. Does the teacher or other executive allow the students or participants to become facilitators? If they do, chances are the other people are engaged, and they are taken to higher levels of learning and leading. So, share the wealth. Share the power.

            Some people are under the impression that there can only be one leader in the classroom, the building, the business, the school, the district. I guaranty you those schools or organizations operate at lower capacity than those organizations that understand the value of creating leaders through empowerment.

            I have worked in schools and other organizations that hoard the power. These places will never be successful in the long run because a collegial environment is not possible. Keeping control will not achieve organizational goals in the long run. Not only is selfishness boring but it stymies creativity. People are not compelled to take creative risks.

            Likewise, there is no synergy when people hoard the power because people do not want to go above and beyond what average people do. Importantly, in successfully empowered environments, people share ideas as well as power.

            Remember that people should know the consequences for failure then they can improve and move on without a fear of taking a new creative risk. In a school, the price of our failure is the failure of our students. However, through promoting leadership from the top to the bottom then back up to the top, it’s alright to take a creative risk if we empower one another.

        The same rings true in any organization. When people are stymied because of disempowerment, then only a few feel connected. Conversely, people feel unimportant when they are not allowed to be creative through leadership. Do not let the “U-Boat Captains” disempower you.

            A “U-Boat Captain” is someone that sits in the back of the room and pulls down his or her periscope every time a new or different idea comes along. Because your idea may be away from the “norm” or it may take some work, BANG, they shoot it down. Do not let the U-Boat Captains interrupt your mission under any circumstance. Let them know how you feel. Be empowered; feel empowered; empower others!