Greatness is in the agency of others: empower success
True greatness is based on our ability to unleash the potential of those around us. To do this you have to shift your focus from personal accomplishments to enabling others' success. If you do so, your actions will have an effect that transcends what you can achieve alone. This is the opposite of the notion that leadership centers on your individual authority alone and instead emphasizes the power of giving others agency, responsibility, and ownership across your organization and underlying teams.
This concept goes beyond formal leadership roles. A great example is a teacher who focuses on developing students' critical thinking skills rather than simply imparting knowledge. This provides a springboard with the potential to create lifelong learners. It's also similar to parents gradually giving their children increasing autonomy as they age and mature, which can result in more confident and capable children as they grow into young adults.
It may seems simple, but this approach requires a fundamental shift in how you view power and control. Traditional leadership often equates authority with strong control over decisions and the road to reach goals. If you have the confidence to step back, thereby relinquishing control while empowering others, you can create space for others to step forward. Effectively, this transforms your role from being the "boss" to being a facilitator trying to allow the greatness in others around you to see the light of day.
In the context of my professional world, which is a law firm, this principle is so important. By embracing this approach I am actively cultivating an environment where the other attorneys on my team are empowered to take initiative on cases and develop legal strategies, as well as to build their own client relationships. By allowing these attorneys to manage all or portions of cases early in their careers, they develop faster and contribute more meaningfully to the success of clients and therefore the firm's success.
The digital age has amplified the importance of this philosophy. The most successful businesses are those that master the art of giving employees agency, thereby allowing ideas and innovation to emerge from all levels of the organization. These business and their leaders understand that when you enable individual agency it creates far more value than top-down direction.
Shifting your mindset to lead in this manner takes effort, requiring humility, patience, and trust. It means celebrating others' successes as enthusiastically as your own and finding fulfillment in the growth and achievements of those you empower. I think of it like teaching a child to ride a bicycle. A great leader helps their people to get going and then to pedal and ride on their own. This type of approach creates a culture where employees in all positions are encouraged to and learn to empower others too, just like the child riding that bike away from you for the first time. Empowering your people will transform your business in so many positive ways if you're willing to take that first step to loosen your grip and let go.