How to Empower Others as a Leader

 

Catalyzing growth isn’t about doing it all—it’s about knowing when to let go.

You want to empower your people. You say things like “I trust you” or “take ownership.” But somehow, it doesn’t always land. Projects stall. Decisions bounce back to you. People stay in wait-and-see mode instead of stepping up.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most leaders say they want empowered teams, but few are actually empowering.

Why? Because real empowerment means sharing power. It means handing over control before someone else has proven they’ll do it “just like you would.” It means resisting the urge to fix, rescue, or over-direct and learning to lead alongside instead of above. It isn’t stepping back, it’s stepping with.

Empowering others is a practice. And it starts with how you think.

 

5 Shifts That Help You Empower Others 

 

1. Move from Teacher to Thought Partner

If your default mode is explaining, teaching, or troubleshooting, you’re still the center of gravity. Empowerment requires catalyzing someone else’s thinking, not just transferring your own.

Start asking:

  • “What would success look like to you here?”
  • “If you had to decide without checking in—what would you do?”
  • “What are 2-3 options you see, and what are the tradeoffs of each?”

These kinds of questions build capability, not dependency.

 

2. Give Real Ownership, Not Just Tasks

It’s easy to delegate a to-do list. It’s harder, but way more effective, to delegate outcomes, decisions, or areas of influence. Instead of saying, “Can you send this email to the client?” say,  “I’d like you to take the lead on managing this client relationship. What will you need from me to do that well?”

Ownership builds confidence and teaches judgment faster than micromanagement ever will.

 

3. Shift from “Let Me Help You” to “I Trust You to Figure This Out”

It feels generous to rescue people from mistakes. But overhelping sends the opposite signal: “I don’t think you can do this without me.” Empowerment means making space for others to learn in safe-to-fail environments, ones where mistakes are treated as learning moments, not liabilities.

Empowered teams aren’t perfect. They’re just resilient. They know when and where it is safe to take a swing and a miss in the name of learning - and they know how to reflect and get better.

Try this:

  • When someone asks you what to do, respond with: “What options might we have here? Let’s make a list.”
  • After a misstep, ask:  “What are you learning in this experience?”

 

4. Model Shared Power in Real Time

You can say “we’re all in this together,” but if you make all the final decisions, people notice. Empowered teams are built when power is distributed, not hoarded - when decisions, strategy, and accountability are co-created.

Start by bringing your team into the how, not just the what. Say things like:

  • “Here’s the challenge. How might we solve this together?”
  • “How do you think we should decide this?”

 

5. Redefine What It Means to Lead Well

If you believe leadership means “being the smartest person in the room” or “always having the answer,” you’ll unintentionally hold others back. True leadership is about creating the conditions for others to thrive, even when it’s messy, uncomfortable, or slower than doing it yourself.

You don’t empower others by fixing them. You empower them by walking alongside them. Not above. Not ahead. With.

You’re not giving your power away. You’re creating a culture where everyone gets to stand in their own.

 

How Do You Know Someone's Ready for More?

One of the biggest barriers to empowerment is the belief that others aren’t ready.

But how do you actually know if they are?

That’s where the Leadership Readiness Assessment comes in.
It helps you see clearly who on your team is ready to grow into their next level of leadership—and what kind of support will help them get there.

Whether you’re building a pipeline or trying to shift team culture, this tool gives you data to act with confidence.

Download the Leadership Readiness Assessment and start developing the kind of leaders who don't just follow instructions, they own the mission.