Increasing Your Power By Giving It Away

Have you ever thought about increasing your power by giving it away?

The old adage, ‘You’re only as strong as the people around you’, is so true. Yet so many of us in management tend to forget it, and in doing so, we weaken our own management and leadership power bases.

Many of us fall into the trap of hoarding power, even when we don’t think we are. We hoard our power by limiting the information we share. We hoard our power by not delegating the authority, as well as the responsibility, for projects. We hoard our power by not giving others full credit when full credit is warranted.

The problem with hoarding power is that one person can effectively control just so much power. There’s a point at which one person can focus and manage effectively. This point, once reached, marks the limit of our management and leadership power. All of us have our limits.

To ensure your ability and your limits for management effectiveness and power continue to grow – give some of your power away. Share the appropriate information with the appropriate personnel so they can learn and take on additional responsibilities. Delegate the authority as well as the responsibility for projects to give others the opportunities to learn and to experience the true highs and lows of project management.

Give others the opportunities to become powerful in their own rights. The stronger they become; the stronger you become.

Sourcenote: Liz Weber, President of Weber Business Services, LLC.