Setting expectations so that empowered team members can accomplish the goals of the organization is a reciprocal process. It requires a conversation, not a monologue.

Steven M. R. Covey in The Speed of Trust says, “The number 1 job of any leader is to inspire trust. It’s to release the creativity and capacity of individuals to give their best and to create a high-trust environment in which they can effectively work with others.”

This week I am focusing on the first one, pruning healthy buds or branches that aren’t the best ones. When a gardener prunes a rosebush, he knows the plant produces more buds than can be sustained.

ROI, or return on investment is a measure used often in the business world. It helps business leaders determine where to spend their time and financial resources and which ideas to pursue.

Moving from Delegation to Empowerment is an intentional process. Expecting a new team member or employee to meet your expectations and requirements without a period of teaching, training and equipping them is a recipe for disaster.

Empowering is critical to organizational leadership. What’s the difference between delegation and empowerment?

Many of the resources you utilize for business success aren’t on your payroll, but they’re on your team. They are integral to your business success.

As a leader, it’s important to focus on what you have and what you want. With this perspective you can then take action and begin building a roadmap for the vision of where you want your business to go to and grow.

Tom Rath, author of Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow, says, “If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.”