How to Make Leadership More Empowering

We are back for another round of interviews and insights in this week’s newsletter! You can also join me today at 12 pm EDT/9 am PT/5 pm GMT for my weekly interview for Newsweek, Better. Today’s talk will feature the author of The Idea Factory , Jon Gertner! For a reminder about that interview, you can click here and add it to your calendar.

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Anne Morriss and Frances Frei are a dynamic duo that has set out to redefine what great leadership looks like. They are the founders of The Leadership Consortium , an accelerator program for leaders of global companies, and authors of the book Unleashed . The book acts as a guide for leaders with the foundational belief that great leadership comes from empowering everyone around you. For a video of our talk in its entirety, you can view that on my YouTube channel here . Anne and Frances have a phrase to keep in mind for those looking to take action and be a better leader: simply begin. To that end, let’s dive into their thoughts on how everyone benefits from being empowered:?

Leadership is not about you:

“The way we think about leadership is that leadership is about making other people better. So it's not about us. When it is about you, you are not participating in the act of leading. It can be about you, sometimes, but you've just taken a step off of the leadership stage when you've done that. So leadership is not about us. Leadership is about making others better as a result of our presence and in a way that lasts into our absence.”

The rise of empathy:

“The core drivers of trust are authenticity, logic, and empathy. One of the things that we observed through the pandemic, is that the need for empathy and building trust just went higher. Empathy was always important, but what was revealed to all of us over the course of the pandemic, is that our need for understanding the experience of our fellow humans was much higher than we thought. That, of course, applies to organizations. We used to go to the office and in many ways, hide the chaos. I think we all became more empathetic in this year. And a consequence of it is that we're all like-heightened to one another. That can be a challenge, but it can also be a superpower. So organizations that are bringing that empathy forward are going to really [do well]. Organizations that are saying, ‘Oh, get back to work and do it like you used to do it.’ I think they didn't get that secret memo.”

The responsibility of inclusivity:

“The benefits of diverse groups are so well understood. Historically, we have put the burdens of diversity squarely on the shoulders of the diverse. Where we really should be putting the burdens of diversity, is on the shoulders of those that are included. So, if you are celebrated and cherished in your organization, it is your obligation to proactively seek out the ways to help, amplify, elevate, and create the conditions. If you don't have a plan to make everyone physically and emotionally safe and welcome, you don't have the right to drag your employees back to the office.”

Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter! For an even more in-depth look into a new perspective of leadership, check out their book, Unleashed . Next week, we have Jon Levy, author of You’re Invited , on the show to discuss cultivating influence. For a calendar reminder, click here .

If you can’t make today’s interview with Jon Gertner, we always make a replay available on my YouTube page . If you’d like to be notified when the newest episode is available, subscribe to my channel and you’ll receive a notification.

Wishing you health and success -?

Dorie