Episode 6: Building an Empowered Ecosystem - How to Develop a Team That Thrives Without You
Hello, hello and welcome to the People-Forward Leadership™ podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today as we continue our journey through the People-Forward Leadership™ framework.
Last time, in Episode 2, we talked about Leader Awareness, which is not only the first pillar of the people-forward leadership™ framework, but a crucial foundation for leaders. As I mentioned in that episode, according to research by Tasha Eurich, while 95% of people believe they are self-aware, only 10-15% actually meet the criteria for true self-awareness. Self-awareness involves understanding your own values, passions, goals, personality, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as how others perceive you. This is a critical skill for leaders to possess, particularly people leaders. It’s crucial for high-performance, building and managing relationships, and making smart, informed decisions. Enhancing your self-awareness requires vulnerability, a practice of questioning your assumptions about yourself, seeking feedback, and being open to what others tell you. There is no better recipe for disaster than a leader who lacks self-awareness or one who believes they’re highly self-aware but are not, won’t listen to, accept, or are even open to feedback about themselves. You know the people who, despite past successes, solid qualifications, or irrefutable intelligence, display a complete lack of insight into how they are coming across. “Unaware leaders” cause increased stress, decreased motivation, and a greater likelihood of attrition. It can also manifest in incompatible communication styles and a culture where there’s a lack of trust. That’s why Leader Awareness is the foundation of people-forward leadership™.
Today, I'm excited to build on this by diving into the our second pillar of the framework which is developing an Empowered Ecosystem.
I was meeting with a client a couple of weeks who was struggling with feeling overwhelmed. She said, "I just can't seem to get away from work. My team needs me for everything!" Maybe you've felt that way too. That's actually a tell-tale sign that your ecosystem isn't empowered.
So what do I mean by "ecosystem"? I'm talking about your team and the environment you create together. An empowered ecosystem is where your team members feel confident in their work, take accountability for their results, communicate and conflict effectively, and solve problems without needing you to jump in all the time.
Think about your own team for a minute. Do they bring you problems without solutions? Do they ask for permission instead of taking initiative? Do things grind to a halt or slow down significantly when you're not available? Are you always in the middle of squabbles, disagreements, or disputes? If you're nodding your head, don't worry – you're not alone.
Here's the thing – most of us have been trained to believe that good leadership means having all the answers. When someone brings us a problem, our natural instinct is to solve it. It feels good to be the hero, right? But when we constantly provide answers, we're actually creating bottlenecks and limiting our team's growth.
I remember when I first realized this in my own leadership. I was so proud of being the go-to person, until I found myself working nights and weekends while my team waited for my input. That's when it hit me – I wasn't empowering them; I was enabling dependency.
So I took action. I started with having each team member come to the table and talk about what their role and responsibilities were, the expertise they brought to the table, the current projects they were working on, who they needed input from, who they gave input to on the team, and what they needed to be successful. As everyone started to share, something amazing happened – they began seeing opportunities to collaborate, they identified where they were duplicating efforts, and more importantly, they saw ways they could problem-solve without looking to me for answers. They realized how they could kick me out of the process entirely for many decisions. And I saw that too.
They continued having 20-minute weekly “pulse checks” without me. It was awesome! They were solving problems, coordinating efforts, and making decisions independently. That's when I knew we were building an empowered ecosystem.
This is why Leader Awareness is so important. The way we lead can sometimes reflect our own blindspots. That was sure the case for me. Maybe you struggle with control issues or perfectionism. Maybe you believe nobody can do the job as well as you. These mindsets create barriers to building an empowered ecosystem.
So how do we change this? Well, it starts with understanding how to effectively delegate and why it’s so important, and I don't just mean assigning tasks. I'm talking about truly delegating authority and decision-making power.
Let me share a quick story. I was working with a creative director who ran her own marketing agency. She was drowning in work, overseeing every aspect of the marketing campaigns her team was creating for clients. She'd constantly make changes and suggestions throughout the process. When I asked her about this approach, she explained, "It's my firm and my reputation on the line." That's a valid concern, right? But the problem was she was burning herself out and frustrating her team in the process.
I worked with her to start trusting her team so she could delegate and let go. We got really clear on expectations upfront – what success looked like for each project, what the client needed, and what her non-negotiables were. Once those were aligned, she started stepping back and giving her team more autonomy. It wasn’t easy for her to back off, but she gradually did so. Over time, not only did her team start to shine and exceed expectations, but her stress levels dropped dramatically and she was able to focus on more critical functions in her business. She was building an empowered ecosystem of people who could confidently take the lead on assignments and deliver exceptional work. That's the difference between being the bottleneck and creating a system that empowers everyone.
So what can you do?
Here are five actionable steps you can take to build your empowered ecosystem:
First, create clear decision-making frameworks. Get specific about where your team has full autonomy. I like using a responsibility matrix that clarifies which decisions they can make independently, which require consultation, and which need approval. Make this explicit – don't assume they know.
Second, establish problem-solving protocols. Before anyone brings you a problem, they should follow certain steps. Have them identify the issue, generate at least two potential solutions, evaluate the pros and cons, and come to you with a recommendation rather than just a problem. This simple protocol can transform your interactions overnight.
Third, focus on outcomes rather than methods. Be crystal clear about what success looks like, but give people flexibility in how they achieve it.
Fourth, create practice opportunities. Look for low-risk scenarios where team members can exercise judgment. Start small – maybe it's letting them run a meeting or make a small budget decision. As their confidence grows, so can their autonomy and your comfort with letting go.
Fifth, and this is crucial, manage your reactive thoughts. When you catch yourself thinking "It's easier if I just do it myself" or "I don't have time to explain" – pause. These thoughts are red flags that you're about to undermine your ecosystem. Take a breath and ask yourself, "Is this a teaching opportunity?” Having this level of awareness will help break these detrimental patterns.
The ultimate goal here is self-accountability – team members who take ownership, follow through on commitments, solve problems proactively, learn from mistakes, communicate effectively, collaborate efficiently, and even hold each other accountable. That's when you know you've created a truly empowered ecosystem.
Now, this doesn't happen overnight. It takes consistent effort and clear communication. You'll need to be patient as your team learns, occasionally stumbles, or even low-key resist. But the payoff is enormous – not just in your time and sanity, but in your team's growth and your organization's results.
Let me leave you with one challenge: This week, identify one area where you can increase your team's autonomy. Maybe it's a decision you normally make that they could handle, or a problem they typically bring to you that they could and should know how to solve themselves. Create a simple framework, communicate your expectations, and then – this is the hard part – step back and let them run with it.
Remember, your job as a leader isn't to be the smartest person in the room or to have all the answers. Your job is to create an environment where your team can thrive and grow into self-leaders. That's what People-Forward Leadership™ is all about.
Thanks so much for joining me, and until next time, keep leading people forward. I'll see you soon.
