Empowerment (n.): the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or to control what happens to you [Cambridge Dictionary] AND the flowers in this photo [me]. 

It’s easy to find various definitions of empowerment with a simple internet search, and in the world of leadership and organizational culture it can seemingly be a complex principle to navigate. But, is it really that difficult to create an environment where your employees are empowered? What does empowerment even look like?

Here’s an example…

For anyone who likes creamer in their coffee, I’m sure this will resonate. You’re ready for your morning cup o’ joe and “UGH!”, you’re out of your favorite creamer, and not a single thing in your fridge will even come close to taking its place. 

That was me early this morning. After calculating which was closest during this time of desperation, the neighborhood supermarket or the local barista, I opted for the market. My rationale…it’ll be quicker for me to run in, use the self-checkout (there’s no way I was making eye contact with anyone this early), and be on my way.

Then, there it was as I was trying to check out – the hideous you-have-an-unexpected-item-in-the-bagging-area alarm. “Seriously?!,” I said under my breath. As I looked around for help, breaking a pact with my introverted self to avoid any eye contact, I was in dire need of customer service. 

After a few seconds, a clerk arrived and could clearly see my level of frustration. He overrode the error and sincerely apologized, quickly turned on his heels toward the floral display, and handed me these flowers with a simple, “I hope they brighten your day.” 

That, folks, is an empowered employee!

Most likely we’ve all seen a list here and there of new words Merriam-Webster officially adds to the dictionary each year. For 2017 (so far), here are a few new additions: airball, binge-watch, listicle, photobomb and yowza. Though these, and others recently included, help bring awareness to the form and usage of new words in the English language, 2017 needs another addition – stratical.

Having spent nearly 15 years facilitating leadership development programs for mid-level managers, and as many leaders have come to personally learn, the ability to navigate between being a tactical manager and a strategic leader is a difficult skill to develop in one’s career journey. Bringing balance between tactically focusing on the day-to-day business, as well as strategically stepping back and gaining a broader perspective of the bigger picture, is a common leadership conundrum. In short, an effective leader must manage and embrace the polarity of tactics and strategy to reap the benefits of both. Failure to do so will result in an over-focus on one, which ultimately leads to the detriment of the other. In essence, I’d argue that successful leaders mustn’t limit themselves to being tactical or strategic, but instead be stratical.

Whether it’s leading small teams or global organizations, a stratical approach can foster a mindset where both the short-term and long-term goals are important. A stratical perspective can inspire critical thinking as well as action-taking in pursuit of achieving personal, team and organization success. Furthermore, it’s a mindset that can support leaders in managing chronic organizational issues which historically are unsolvable with an either/or approach.

So, Merriam-Webster, if you’re scanning social media for any new submissions, I’ve got a option for you – stratical!

Leadership is complex.  Given the ever-changing global landscape, as well as the exploration of uncharted territories and new markets, leadership today can seem overwhelming.  I’d argue, however, that there are simple nuances which have the potential to make a positive and significant impact on our leadership approach.

One such nuance is embracing the beauty of “and.”  Effective leaders build and guide healthy organizations and teams.  As part of that responsibility, our ability to communicate in a way that inspires and motivates others becomes significant.  However, many of our attempts to communicate are plagued by two simple conjunctions that the dictionary tell us mean nearly the same thing – “but” and “and.”

Recently, I’ve made a concentrated effort to focus on using the word “and” instead of “but;” and, it has made all the difference.  Consciously choosing “and” has fostered  healthier communications with others.

Here is a simple example showcasing the power that lies in the choice:

• You did an excellent job on that project, and it took a little longer than was anticipated.
• You did an excellent job on that project, but it took a little longer than was anticipated.

In the first sentence, the use of “and” acknowledges and appreciates a job well done on the project.  With the use of “but” in the second sentence, however, the job well done is now discounted versus appreciated.

All things considered, if we want to inspire and motivate others as leaders, we must be careful with the words we choose.  In this case, the difference between two conjunctions is a compelling one.