Self-Empowered

Empowerment involves pushing decision-making responsibilities further down the organizational hierarchy. Empowerment is facilitated by creating an environment in which individuals are given the responsibility and skills to be self-managing. Empowerment is not bestowed upon another. It is an inside job. Individuals empower themselves by claiming the power already present within themselves. The key source of that power is choice.

We will often justify our actions by saying we had no choice. We always have a choice. What we are really saying is that we didn’t like any of the available options so we chose the least painful one. Leaders can assist people to become more empowered by helping them expand their options. Brainstorming and other creativity-enhancing processes can expand people’s possibilities. Leaders can facilitate decision-making processes to guide individuals to more informed choices. The leader does not empower but helps followers recognize and apply the power inherent within themselves. When individuals recognize they are responsible for claiming the power already available to them, they then possess the possibility of becoming self-empowered.