Empowerment

It appears everywhere but it’s rarely found. Everyone talks about it but very few put it into practice. Most people want it for themselves but are clueless about how to give it to others. Then there is utter confusion about employee vs women vs social vs youth empowerment. As a matter of fact, I think there is a whole list of specialized empowerments that I am not woke about.

What do we do then? Settle for “empowerment = do whatever the heck you want”. It’s just so convenient! And precisely therein lies the danger…

So, what then is empowerment? What does it look like in practice? How does it manifest for the collective good? How not to abuse it with self-serving jingoism? And most importantly, how can it drive the best outcomes in each situation? Let’s look at 2 examples……

The first one often shows up in the context of “women’s empowerment”. It scares the daylight out of me!

Popular Toxic Phrase: “You are empowered to say no and put your foot down”.

Better Phrase: “I am empowered to express my needs/wants/opinions/concerns”.

Impactful Approach: “I am empowered to clearly articulate my needs/wants/opinions/concerns and their consequences. I am also empowering others to politely agree or disagree with me. Ultimately, I am creating an environment to address the situation in a balanced manner”.

High impact empowerment facilitates shared successes. It also helps isolate noise and drives clarity on next steps. And in situations where there truly is no path to collective good, it creates the confidence to firmly put one’s foot down and move on.

Here is another example in the context of “employee or organizational empowerment”.

Popular Meaningless Phrase: “You are empowered to solve problems for our customers”.

Better Phrase: “I am empowered to bring a solution to the table, not just problems”.

Impactful Approach: “I am empowered to bring a point of view and well thought out solutions to the table. I am also empowering others to bring their perspectives to the discussion. Ultimately, I am facilitating a solution that’s best for our customers and the business”.

Empowerment isn’t given, it comes from within. It comes from absolute clarity of purpose, guided by intrinsic values. Even when outside conditions aren’t conducive. Even when one faces opposition.