Different Strokes for Different Folks: Taking Your Leadership Empowering Skills to the Next Level
EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP PART 2 • PART 1
Empowering people is not one-size fits all. So how do strengthen your empowering leadership style?
Which one are you?
Are you a Rower or a Riverbanker?
In the last article, we examined the difference between two empowerment leadership styles that organizational leaders practice.
A Rower is a micromanager. Rowers jump into the seat and take over rowing for the crew member. They get frustrated at what is happening and take over. They get in the weeds and do the work that a subordinate is supposed to be doing.
A Riverbanker is an empowerer. They keep their eye on the big picture and focus more on the destination and outcomes by providing clarity. They communicate values and principles that help team members to determine the best path, make decisions, and accomplish their work. They establish boundaries (riverbanks) so the crew has freedom to work with out constant permission.
THE LEADERSHIP EMPOWERMENT SPECTRUM
Leadership is not quite so simple! This is not an either/or proposition. These two leadership styles are at the opposite end of the continuum. The reality is that leaders usually fall somewhere in the middle.
EMPOWERMENT PREFERENCES
To make this even more fun, people also have a preference for how they lead and a practice for how they lead.
By preference, I likely would end up as a Rower. I like to be hands-on and get do the work myself. I feel great satisfaction in personally checking things off a list. I like to move fast without waiting from other people.
By practice, my role requires me to be a Riverbanker. I cheer on team members and help them when they get stuck or provide a greater context for what is happening and any guidelines that can help them make the decision. So, I really try to lean over to the Riverbanker side when I interact with team members.
empowerment factors
So there’s all that. But, more rollicking times! It gets even more complicated.
One-size-does-not-fit-all for every subordinate. Depending on the team member, you may need to adjust your style. People are complicated, and they have different needs.
For example, one factor to consider is the experience level of the subordinate.
If your team members have never rowed in the boat before, just creating riverbanks is not sufficient. They’ve never held an oar. They don’t even know where to start.
They are beginners to the job, or as my video-playing kids say, newbies. Newbies need training. Training is different than micromanaging.
Training shows best practices on how work is done so that the newbie doesn’t need to undergo many mistakes and learn things the hard way. Skills, tools, systems, relationships, and people connections are all very important parts of a newbie’s training. So pick up that oar and get in the boat with the newbie to train them.
And then the swap…
But once your newbie is trained, it’s time to become more of a Riverbanker. Your role turns into a coach to ask questions and provide a regular reminder of outcomes and destinations. You give the team member the opportunity to make decisions and figure out better ways of doing things.
Rowers who jump in and start dictating how to do things demoralize team members who may know how to do the work better than the leader. It’s better to lean towards being a Riverbanker.
After a while, the team member becomes the expert on the work. This resident expert has figured out the best practices on how to get work done. They’re skilled! They’re fast! They run circles around the leader.
The plot thickens
An interesting dynamic happens when you have a highly skilled and competent team member… Riverbanking may actually be seen as micromanagement!
Sometimes team members are so good at what they do, and they’ve been around so long, that if you continually try to remind them of destination and outcomes, it can come across as insulting to their intelligence.
They've taken ownership and know this work better than you do. So now what?
if your team member outgrows your riverbanking
In this case, you move to the next level of leadership, which is the Route Clearer.
The Route Clearer knows the team member knows their job. So they encourage, cheer on, and then mainly get involved when there is a clog in the river.
The clog is usually beyond the “pay grade” of the team member. They cannot unclog the mess on their own. So they need help.
The Route Clearer then addresses the clogs, bottlenecks, delays, and barriers that are beyond the ability of the team member to solve. They unplug things so that the boat can continue down the river. When they do this, team members feel empowered and supported.
MATCHING YOUR EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP STYLE
Here’s a simple summary of what role to take based on the need of your subordinate.
If the team member is new without skills or struggling with competencies, lean on the Rower side. Show them how the work is done and train them on protocols, best practices, and expectations.
If the team member is skilled and experienced, lean on the Riverbanker side. This includes giving clear outcomes to achieve, helping them course correct if they get a little off-track, and giving them the freedom to make decisions under their area of responsibility.
If the team member is highly skilled and experienced and runs into issues beyond their ability to resolve, become a Route Clearer. Help them troubleshoot the issue, and if it is beyond their level, address the issue with those who have authority.
Assessment
Try this practical exercise:
Chart the experience level of your team members.
Mark where you lie on the continuum in how you lead them.
Analyze. How much does your behavior align with where subordinates are? What adjustments might you need to make?
Self-assess. How can you develop a greater awareness of when you are defaulting to your preferences but need to use another style?
Make your own course corrections to lead your team effectively.
I’d love to hear from you. What is a practice you have to empower people who are highly skilled and experienced?
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