The Empowerment Manual by Starhawk.;

Author:Starhawk.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BUS085000
ISBN: 9781550924848
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc. (Tier 3)
Published: 2011-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

A PORTRAIT OF EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP

An empowering leader holds and serves a vision broad and deep enough to inspire others and allow them to take parts of it and make it their own. When Rob Hopkins founded the Transition Town movement, his vision was to take the insights of permaculture and ecological design and apply them on a local community level. That was a big vision, far too big for any one person to realize alone. Within it, there was room for many people to step up and realize their own creative ideas and pursue their interests — how to transform a vacant lot into a community garden, how to plant forest gardens in city parks, how to influence policy around water resources or investment in renewable energy. Rob’s original vision called many people into their own power and leadership.

An empowering leader also helps the group develop a strategy — a plan for getting from here to there, with milestones and goals along the way.

An empowering leader is comfortable playing many roles and using the whole spectrum of leadership styles.

An empowering leader rarely uses Command mode. Most of the time, she leads by example and persuasion. But when Command is called for, an empowering leader will step forward and then step back into a more Democratic mode once the need has passed.

An empowering leader takes risks. In Lord of the Rings, the true leaders take the most dangerous position, leading the troops into battle. The evil lord Sauron and the corrupted Steward Denethor sit in safety, directing from behind.

Most of us are not subject to orc attacks in our daily group activities. The risks we take are those of failure, being seen badly by others, public humiliation, financial liability — and sometimes being stabbed in the back by our own group members. An empowering leader is willing to put themselves on the line for the group’s mission.

An empowering leader also steps back. He doesn’t hog the center or the spotlight, but is always looking for ways to share.

An empowering leader puts the needs of the group first. He thinks about how each of his actions will affect the group.

An empowering leader plans for succession. She trains her successors while she is still in love with doing a particular job and can’t imagine that she’d ever want to step away from it.

An empowering leader practices good self-care. She takes on only those responsibilities she can fulfill joyfully, takes breaks and rests when she’s tired. He looks after his own health and well-being, for he knows that sacrificing his basic needs will not truly serve either the group or himself over the long run.

All of this is, of course, the ideal. We can strive for it, but most of us will fall short in one way or another. An empowering leader makes mistakes. If she doesn’t, she’s probably not experimenting enough. An empowering leader is also a good learner, an experienced and willing apologizer, someone who can make amends and move on.

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