Empowering People to Thrive: A Personal Story

If you ask 10 parents how to raise a child you’ll probably get 10 different answers.??The same applies to executives or managers in an organization and if you ask them about the best leadership style for their situation.??There are many answers to the question and they all have merit.

However, I think there is one word that resonates true for most people, including both parents raising their children and managers overseeing a team of people.??That word is empowerment.??

The Webster’s dictionary offers this definition of the word.:

Empowerment: Noun,?the act or action of?empowering ?someone or something?:?the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties

Wikipedia has this one:

Empowerment?is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's?rights . Empowerment as action refers both to the process of self-empowerment and to professional support of people, which enables them to overcome their sense of powerlessness and lack of influence, and to recognize and use their resources.

This past week, at my daughter Hope’s High School graduation ceremony, I witnessed first-hand an example of an empowered young leader and it was amazing.??

Putting my “through the roof” proud Dad bias aside, LOL, Hope was selected to be the Senior Class Speaker at her graduation ceremony where she was to speak in front of 5000+ people. The president of her school’s Model United Nations Club program for two years which has thrived under her leadership, she’s proven she has some innate leadership chops.??Of course, for me as an Executive Leadership Coach , I couldn’t be more excited for her.

I was once told by someone that our job as parents is to raise independent, high functioning and happy kids who then grow to be independent, high functioning and happy adults.??If you do that, you’ve done your job quite well.??This has stuck in my mind for the past 18 years.

Ever since Hope and her younger sister Chloe were little girls they have been raised to discover their own solutions to problems. In fact, even today my girls joke about how they remember from a young age they heard me say, “Use your big smart brain to figure it out.”??In other words, dad isn’t always going to be there to press the Easy button for you and solve things.??Reflecting back, they were empowered to discover their own solutions to problems.

Now back to Hope's graduation speech.??When she finished her speech, which was delivered flawlessly TED Talk Style without notes, I recognized that what I saw in front of me was an empowered young leader who is ready to move onto the next stage of life and make a difference.??Making it even more amazing for me is the fact that Hope has suffered as a severe stutterer since early childhood, receiving therapy for over 14 years of her life. She faced her fears of public speaking head-on to blossom into what you see today.? You can watch her 4 minute speech HERE.?

A quote from her speech fitting for young and mature adults alike,

“We owe it to ourselves to follow our intuition, to find our true passions and to discover what makes us who we are.”?

Empowerment.??Such a strong concept. Whether it’s empowering your children, or in a work context, empowering those on your team to perform better in their role, it goes a long way in helping them optimize who they are to be.

Needless to say her speech received lots of praise from teachers, faculty and her fellow students… not to mention her proud family!?

Now on a summer break trip to Europe, Hope will be attending Barrett Honor’s College at ASU, studying International Politics.?? Mission accomplished!

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Coach Troy Jacobson is the Head Coach of the Jacobson Leadership Academy where they offer Executive Coaching, Leadership Training Workshops and Business Strategy services. To learn more visit Jacobson Leadership.