Transcending Empowerment: The Pinnacle of Leadership Excellence

Navigating leadership often involves sailing against external winds. Market volatility, shareholders' demands, board scrutiny, global events — they all seem to conspire, making us feel adrift. This sensation, like a subtle undercurrent, sweeps not only us but also subtly and surely seeps into the organization, amplifying a reactive stance of 'things happening to me.'

But if we pause and look within, we might discover a different narrative. The story isn't about how we're buffeted by these external winds but about our internal compass – our self-empowerment. Leadership, at its core, isn't about the authority endowed by position; it's about the authority we derive from within.

Self-empowerment is the inner conviction that we have the power to shape outcomes, tackle challenges, and drive change. And when this internal strength intertwines with psychological ownership, the resulting dynamic can be transformative.

Psychological ownership isn't about accountability alone. It's a deeply personal commitment to our roles and the organization at large. It's living the company's triumphs and tribulations as our own, going beyond contracts or obligations.

As you continue your leadership journey, you might find it enriching to reflect on these aspects when you feel like things are happening to you.

While external forces will always exist, their impact dims in comparison to your ability to influence them. You have managed countless times to shift your mindset from reactive (“things are happening to me”) to proactive (“I make things happen”), especially when it matters most.

Remember your choice: You're not here merely because of your skills and potential; you're here because you chose to be here. The vast skills and experience you have built up over the years are simply tools to allow you to pursue more choices in your life. This insight helps nurture psychological ownership.

Remember your influence: Your leadership role offers you a vast sphere of influence. Using it responsibly can enhance psychological ownership and bolster self-empowerment. Living these principles can reinforce them within you, and equally importantly, can inspire others to mirror them.

While reading this, you may find yourself wanting a list of practical steps or actionable insights to develop your self-empowerment and ignite a sense of ownership in your team. One of the biggest take-aways in this post is that this precise desire for external guidance comes quite often from a lack of self-empowerment, as it implicitly assumes that the knowledge of what actions to take resides outside of yourself. My point is that you already possess the understanding and awareness to embark on this journey.

Engaging with these reflections and bringing them to life, you might witness your organization evolving from a traditional structure into a vibrant, dedicated community. This is a place where every team member feels deeply invested in the organization's purpose and success, and where every win or setback becomes a personal journey.

Leadership is not just about steering the organization towards success. It's about nurturing an environment where everyone, from the senior leader to the newest recruit, feels a deep sense of belonging, responsibility, and purpose.

By focusing on self-empowerment and psychological ownership, you can stir up profound changes, creating an empowered community united by shared vision and purpose. But it starts with you — by looking within and remembering the strengths that already exist. Remember, your leadership journey is as much about the external tempests you tame as it is about the internal strengths you awaken.