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Responsibility for Mistakes Part of Empowerment

The Plain Dealer --
By: Leslie Yerkes

Harry Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." I was reminded of that last month when U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato went on the "The Today Show" and publicly apologized for his insensitive imitation of Judge Lance Ito on a national talk radio program.

In his apology, D'Amato said at first he didn't think he had done anything wrong, but when he understood how his portrayal was taken by the listeners, he said he learned something about himself and that he was sorry for his behavior.

Whether or not you believe him, like him, or respect him, D'Amato did the right thing as a Senator and took the heat for his actions. He said publicly "I made a mistake."

GOOD LEADERS TAKE THE BEST: As a small business owner, taking the heat is part of our daily routine; it's part of being a good leader. If we can't or don't admit to the mistakes we make,and we all make mistakes daily,then we are telling our employees that we don't value the ability to take the heat.

And if we don't tell them we value that ability, how will they know that we expect it from them?

It seems like every small business owner in America is striving for an empowered workforce, owners and employees alike. It's my impression, however, that many people haven't a clue what empowerment really means.

THE TWO SIDES OF EMPOWERMENT: Empowerment is broadly defined as "giving power to another person." But empowerment is a coin with two sides; the other side of which is acceptance of that power. And that's the part we often forget. The acceptance of power by an employee of a small business implies the acceptance of responsibility for that power's use. When things go wrong, that acceptance of power implies the responsibility to "take the heat" for your actions.

My experience is that employees really want empowerment and they want the recognition that goes along with empowerment. They are much less eager, however, to embrace the responsibility that goes along with empowerment.

As a small-business owner, we are both leaders and teachers of our employees. Therefore, it is our obligation to place the responsibility in its correct perspective; we must let our employees know that empowerment's corollary is to "take the heat."

However, this is the part of the empowerment process that everyone seems to forget. If employees want empowerment, they must embrace not only the opportunity, and the golden ring that goes with it, but they must also embrace the fact that they will now be required to take the heat.

If an employee who is shouldering responsibility and doing great things wants to truly be empowered, then they must learn that when things don't go well, they will have to accept the responsibility.

WE LEARN BY TAKING THE HEAT: Employees learn best by example. If we expect them to take the heat for their actions, then we had better be shining examples of the behavior we expect and take the heat for our actions.

Taking the heat should be seen as a badge of honor. Not everyone can successfully do it. As humans, our first reaction seems to be to avoid all potentially negative situations. The ability to overcome our instinctual behavior is one of the determining factors in how successful we become in life.

As a leader and official teacher of our small business, it is our obligation to let our employees know not only that we value them, but also the significance we place on their ability to take the heat.

The employee who can get chewed out when things go wrong, learn from the mistake and then go forward is the employee who is truly prospering from experience. They are the best example of the empowered employee and represent the behavior and attitude we wish for our entire organization.

CREATING A CULTURE OF EMPOWERMENT: As small-business owners, it is our responsibility to create an empowered workforce. It is also our responsibility to establish exactly what empowerment means in our culture. For example, empowerment doesn't just mean getting to make the decision, it means taking responsibility for those decisions. When our employees understand both sides of the empowerment coin, then we'll have an organization that is truly empowered.

Fathers used to say, "Take it like a man." What that really means is to experience the occurrences of life as an adult: you take it, you own it, you solve the problem, you fix it. And when you're wrong, you apologize. The next time, you do better. That's the real result of being able to take the heat.

Leaders are perceived as being smart, as being able to take the heat. To be a leader on any level, to be truly empowered, you have to learn to walk on hot coals, to face the fire with integrity and to come out of each experience smarter and wiser. Just like a great sword is created by taking the heat, great companies are also created when its employees can do the same.

And when you and your employees consistently take the heat for your actions, you'll all be able to stand in the kitchen with Harry Truman.