Developing Empowered Leaders- An Alternative Approach

There are many reasons why empowered leaders are highly sought after. The main reason is that empowered leaders are assumedly more innovative, upward influencing, and inspirational than the status quo individual . Various factors come into play when developing an empowered leader. The two primary factors, established psychological empowerment and a comprehensive understanding of the leadership process, are the most important. A secondary factor, occupational environmental, is almost equally important in the empowered leadership development process. An analysis of the empowered leader development process examines both the individual and the institution in which that individual seeks to develop.

In an alternative approach to leadership development, researchers Thomas and Venthouse have developed a psychological empowerment model. The empowerment model presupposes that an individual must feel, “in control,” of their work in order to be more effective. The four cognitive dimensions which lead to this psychological empowerment include: meaning, competence, self determination and impact. The first dimension, meaning or motivation, requires the individual to have some correlation between their role at work and their personal beliefs and values. The second dimension, competence or self-efficacy, resides in the individuals belief in their own ability to accomplish their work with skill. The third dimension, self determination or personal control, exists in the individuals comfort level when initiating and regulating their own actions and that they are able to function at their own pace. The last dimension, impact or influence, relies on whether or not the individual feels they are capable of influencing strategic, administrative, or operating outcomes1, . Additional research by Conger and Kanungo found that supervisors who reported higher levels of empowerment were seen by their subordinates as more innovative, upward influencing, and inspirational , (Figure 1. demonstrates the Empowerment model).

Figure 1.

The second part of the empowerment addresses the working environment in which the leader may develop. The most supportive occupational environment stresses several issues. The primary issue is that the individual, like the agency, must continuously learn. This issue is most important because most organizations are changing on a regular basis. For example, nearly all corporations at the head of their industry are restructuring and changing to adapt to emerging market trends. By continually learning the leader may be empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to have an influence . Other environmental factors that may further empower leaders include; equal information sharing, decision making, unrestricted access to work resources, and opportunities to proactively take on new responsibilities.

The development of an empowered leader is not so much a task or chore but rather an opportunity for an individual to guide others. Each of these issues, psychological and environmental empowerment, may be obtained. However, an individual still needs to make the conscious decision to lead on his own terms. This dimension of self-efficacy cannot be stressed enough. In summary, an individual must guide his own leadership development and find an institution that will best facilitate his empowerment.

References
1. Spreitzer, G., De Janaz, S., Quinn, R. (1999) Empowered to lead: the role of psychological empowerment in leadership, J. Organiz. Behav. 20, 511±526 (1999),
2. Thomas, K. W. and Velthouse, B. A. (1990). `Cognitive elements of empowerment: An interpretive model of intrinsic task motivation', Academy of Management Review, 15, 666±681.
3. Conger, J. A. and Kanungo, R. N. (1988a). `The empowerment process: Integrating theory and practice', Academy of Management Review, 31, 471±482.
4. Thomas, K.W. and Tymon,W. G., Jr. (1994). `Does empowerment always work: Understanding the role of intrinsic motivation and personal interpretation', Journal of Management Systems, 6(3).
5. London, M., Smither, J. Empowered Self-development and Continuous Learning, Human Resource Management, Volume 38, Issue 1 (p 3-15)