Empowered Leadership-How to get the best from your team

By Kim Olver

In ebook you will learn how to get the best from your workers, empower your workers, earn their respect and loyalty and open the lines of communication. Learning how to share the power between management and the workers will empower both groups and ultimately lead to less employee turnover, improved employee satisfaction and an increase in productivity. Includes our Empowered Leadership Action Book containing all the worksheets necessary to complete each lesson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kim Olver
• Release date: Sep 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9780977438853

Kim Olver

Kim Olver, M.S., LCPC, NCC, BCC, sums up the goal of her work as helping people get along better with the important people in their lives, including themselves, at home and at work. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified in Choice Theory and Reality Therapy and the author of Secrets of Happy Couples. Kim is the creator of the Choice Coaching program, and the founder and president of Coaching for Excellence, LLC. She also serves as the Executive Director of William Glasser Institute-US and William Glasser International.

Book preview

Empowered Leadership

Copyright 2011 by Kim Olver

Smashwords Edition

InsideOut Press

Chicago, Illinois

Copyright © Coaching for Excellence, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This eBook includes our Empowered Leadership Action Book at the end of this eBook. Our action book contains all the worksheets necessary to complete each chapter. If you wish to have a printable workbook, a downloadable PDF of the Empowered Leadership Action Book is available for purchase at http://www.kimolver.com/actionbooks.php for only $1.99.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: What is Empowered Leadership?

Chapter 2: Leadership Qualities

Chapter 3: Focus on the Product/Service

Chapter 4: Focus on the Producers

Chapter 5: The Coaching Model

Chapter 6: Time Management

Chapter 7: Valuing Diversity and Teamwork

Chapter 8: Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving Models

Chapter 1: What is Empowered Leadership?

It seems that every decade or so there is some new fad the runs through the business world in terms of supervision, and in the current climate of diversity management, downsizing, outsourcing, generational work conflicts and the information age, things are even more complicated than ever before.

No longer does a one size fits all leadership model really work. We can't treat everyone the same and expect that everything will just work out somehow. Managers and leaders must have a framework with which to manage their workers in a way that honors everyone's unique and specific position on the job. If you are a manager with the attitude that says, If you don't like it, there's the door. There's always someone waiting to take your place, you will not be successful with effectively managing the workers of today.

Empowered Leadership provides managers with the tools to be effective in today's work environment. Empowered leadership teaches managers how to share the power with their workers, thus empowering both groups. By giving away some power, you will receive so much more in return through respect, cooperation and commitment. Do and of those sound like something you would like more of?

Conventional wisdom tells us that when those in power relinquish some of that power by sharing it or giving it to their employees, then they would lose something when in actually, they gain.

Think about it. When people rule with an iron hand, they generally instill fear in those who work for them. Do you do your best work when you are afraid? I don't know about you but I will attempt to comply because I want to avoid negative consequences but it certainly won't be my best work. The absolute best a manager can hope for with coercion is compliance. If compliance is enough, then coercion might work.

However, I will gripe and complain and quietly wait for opportunities to get even. I won't have a kind thing to say about my employer and at every available chance will seek corroboration for how I feel from my co-workers, thus spreading an us versus them mentality. In David Hawkins revolutionary book, Power versus Force, he talks about simple physics and reminds us that anytime you use force to get someone to do something; you are my scientific law creating and equal counterforce. It has to be. It may not be something that is readily apparent but it's there nonetheless. Is that something that will be conducive to quality work, commitment and respect to you? Probably not.

When leaders and managers seek to empower their workers, they will gain their loyalty. Workers want to give their supervisor their best when they are listened to and respected. Without fear, their minds can be creative and innovative.

When managers are willing to accommodate special requests and it doesn't interfere with product or service delivery, then their employees will be sure to give back their best in return. Giving away power only increases a manager's power.

Now, Empowered Leadership does not advocate that you become a total pushover and forget about producing your product or service in favor of making things nice for your employees. As a manager, you have a two-fold job--you are to represent your employees' desires, opinions and suggestions to management while at the same time communicating management's issues, concerns and expectations to your employees. This is not an easy line to walk.

You will never get the best from your employees if they don't respect you. You cannot be a doormat for your employees to walk over. If they believe you have no bottom line or nonnegotiables, then they will never be satisfied and always asking for more. You will feel used and abused and the truth is, you asked for it.

As a manager, you must hold the bar high. Expect great things from each and every one of your workers. If you only expect mediocrity, mediocrity is exactly what you will get. Set the standards and lead by example. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's said, The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. If your workers see you giving it your all, it will be difficult for them to perform below standard.

You must have production goals you are attempting to meet for either products or services. Always enlist the help of your employees to set the goals, with the underlying premise being continual improvement.

And as a