Delegate Power to Every Person.

An excerpt from Firing Up Commitment During Organizational Change

Give each employee full control and authority over some sector of work. Share the power. Delegate authority. Let everyone be in charge of something. Position your people, as individuals, to wield a measure of influence over ideas and events.

The thought here is not so much to make employees feel powerful but to keep them from feeling powerless. Actually, power feeds the ego more than it builds commitment. So you might give someone a lot of clout without gaining an ounce of effort or dedication. What you want to do is prevent powerlessness, the helpless feeling that disarms commitment. Even a small portion of power might keep an employee from giving up and disengaging.

Powerlessness produces despair, a “What’s the use?” attitude, that stifles enthusiasm and saps energy. When people feel unable to shape circumstances, when they feel whipped about by forces beyond their control, they learn to act helpless. If they decide the future is not only unknown but also dangerous, they start believing in their own weakness. That belief, in turn, becomes the reality.

Help your employees believe in their ability to affect their circumstances. Give them opportunities to shape their future. Look for chances to let them have a say in matters of personal concern, especially within their own sphere of influence.

When the power drains out of your people, there’s no strength left in the organization. Commitment dies for lack of energy.

You can give power to your people without ending up any less powerful yourself.