A few weeks ago we discussed the critical importance of investing in those you lead, including providing relevant training and education options and creating opportunities for individual growth. Another way in which inspirational leaders invest in and empower those they lead is by equipping them beyond the essentials required to fulfill their job description.
If you want to empower your people, you must equip them. Instead of just providing the bare minimum of job training for necessary hard skills, leaders should offer additional development opportunities for those hard skills, as well as plenty of training and coaching for important soft skills.
By facilitating employees’ growth in their area of focus and expertise as well as complimentary areas, inspirational leaders empower them to achieve greater success—personally, professionally, and organizationally.
Obviously every organization and employer wants their people to be proficient in the necessary “hard skills” (e.g. typing speed, mathematic ability, financial acumen, programming knowledge, etc.), and leaders should find or create opportunities for their people to further develop those skills. But even more important are the “soft skills” (e.g. working in a team, decision making, problem solving, verbal communication, organizing and prioritizing tasks, etc.).
When they grow in those areas and become equipped with valuable soft skills, those you lead will be more empowered to leverage their strengths, weigh-in on big decisions, and add greater value to their role and the overall mission. As John Maxwell says, “As a leader, it’s your duty to enrich and empower your people by fully equipping them to excel on the job.”
How are you equipping those you lead beyond the “essentials?”
