Proactivity/Empowerment

1
Proactivity/Empowerment
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Objectives

• Comprehend how proactivity relates to effective
  leadership.
• Understand how authority, responsibility, and
  accountability contribute to empowerment.
• Learn how the concept of empowerment applies to
  leadership.
• Realize the relationship between empowerment and
  proactivity in effective leadership.

3
Proactivity

• What is it?
• Taking initiative and responsibility.
• Be competent, fully knowledgeable.
• Consistent quality regardless of circumstance.
• Accept circumstances and make conscious decisions.

4
Proactivity

• Proactive is not
• Pushy, obnoxious, aggressive.
• Defying orders.
• Modifying responsibility.
• Sidestepping accountability because of
  convenience.

5
Proactive vs. Reactive

• Proactive
• Value driven, get the most out of their
  environment.
• See and choose their course of action.
• Face reality and then create a positive, goal
  oriented plan of accomplishment.

• Reactive
• Allow the environment to control their actions.
• Lack foresight, and get caught unprepared.
• Often forced into a decision rather than choosing
  how to act.

6
Proactive vs. Reactive Language

• Proactive
• I choose
• I prefer
• Ill look at my options
• Ill try a different way
• Ill adjust my priorities

• Reactive
• I can not
• I have to
• There is nothing I can do
• I am what I am
• Im too busy

7
Proactive vs. Reactive

• Proactive
• Focus energy and effort on things they can
  change.
• Accept the uncontrollable.
• Nature of energy is positive, inviting, growing.

• Reactive
• Focus on problems they cannot control.
• Consume areas they could control.
• Everything becomes a concern about which nothing
  can be done.

8
Proactive vs. Reactive

• Responsibility, accountability, seek
  understanding rather than making excuses.
• Admit a mistake, correct it, and learn from it
  before it festers and grows.

• Avoid responsibility
• Rationalize, justify why they shouldnt have it.
• Eventually leads to outright lying.

9
Empowerment

• Two Types
• Formal A position or title formally awarded by
  the command.
• Informal Ensuring the subordinate feels like a
  valuable member of the team. They will be
  listened to and taken seriously.

10
Proactivity and Empowerment

• Good leaders empower people not positions.
• Empowerment encourages proactivity.
• One fails without the other.
• Proactive personnel will be rewarded with greater
  empowerment.

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Summary

• Proactivity
• Proactive vs. Reactive
• Proactive/Reactive Language
• Empowerment