{"id":87856,"date":"2022-12-31T14:43:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T18:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=87856"},"modified":"2025-10-03T11:11:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T15:11:42","slug":"how-to-empower-your-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-empower-your-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Empower Your Team to Lead: Jocko Willink Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Want to know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-empower-your-team-2\/\">how to empower your team<\/a>? Why is it important to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/team-empowerment\/\">empower teams<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Author Jocko Willink developed a series of leadership principles based on his 20 years of experience as a U.S. Navy SEAL. According to him, by learning how to empower your team, you\u2019ll elevate your team members to success by enabling them to become leaders themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to learn how to empower your team to lead, according to Willink&#8217;s advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/professional\/work\/team-building-guide\/\">Shortform\u2019s guide to team-building<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-empowering-your-team\">Empowering Your Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Jocko Willink, <strong>your team is held together by relationships, and relationships are built on trust<\/strong>. Without relationships, you simply won\u2019t have a team to lead. To build good relationships with people, Willink says you have to extend trust to your team by learning how to empower your team, which is accomplished by communicating regularly, and by always telling the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: How do good relationships improve your team? Research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2022\/09\/high-performing-teams-dont-leave-relationships-to-chance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">good relationships improve your team by increasing everyone\u2019s creativity, collaboration, and productivity<\/a>. Additionally, people who feel they have good relationships with work colleagues feel more satisfied with their jobs, are less likely to experience burnout, and are more likely to stay with their team long-term.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-willink-s-advice\">Willink&#8217;s Advice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let your team know <\/strong><strong><em>what<\/em><\/strong><strong> needs to be done and <\/strong><strong><em>why<\/em><\/strong><strong> it matters to your shared mission, then give them freedom to decide <\/strong><strong><em>how<\/em><\/strong><strong> to do it<\/strong>.<strong> <\/strong>Willink claims that by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/building-trust-in-a-team\/\">trusting your team<\/a> with opportunities to lead, you\u2019ll inspire them to reciprocate and trust you. For example, let\u2019s say you give your team the responsibility of organizing a client event. Tell your team that you want to make your guests feel welcome and proud to be working with your company (this is <em>what<\/em> needs to be done). Then, explain <em>why<\/em> this is important: These clients are major partners with your organization and provide significant funds to grow the company. From there, let your team come up with the plan, or the <em>how<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-is-trust-earned\/\">building trust<\/a>, learning how to empower your team has other benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This strategy will increase your team\u2019s commitment to the mission because they\u2019ll have a sense of responsibility for the plan. This is because people tend to think their own plans are best.<strong> If your own plan has a problem, you\u2019re more inclined to solve it<\/strong>, whereas if there\u2019s a problem with someone else\u2019s plan, you\u2019re likely to blame them instead of looking for solutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By letting your team take on responsibilities, they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/develop-leadership-skills\/\">develop leadership skills<\/a>. By contrast, if you solve all of their problems, you\u2019ll stunt their growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By designating duties to other people, you free yourself up to handle bigger-picture problems and support the team on a greater scale.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few things to keep in mind as you designate leadership roles to other people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the plan your team comes up with is good enough to get the job done, go with it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the plan your team comes up with is less than sufficient, respectfully suggest improvements or ask questions about the plan until your team realizes its shortcomings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In urgent and consequential cases, or when your team is indecisive about something, you may have to make a more immediate decision. According to Willink, if you normally allow your team the freedom to shape plans as they see fit, they\u2019ll respect and follow you in the rare moments when you make executive decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Empower Your Children to Make Decisions<\/strong><br><br>Willink\u2019s advice on how to empower your team may be just as applicable to leading your children as it is to leading the adults on your team. As with your team, encouraging your children to make decisions helps them develop critical thinking skills, form trusting relationships, determine their values, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-be-more-resilient\/\">build resilience<\/a>.<br><br>It can be tempting to make decisions for your children, especially when they\u2019re indecisive or you think they lack the experience or knowledge to make the right choice. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/growing-friendships\/201906\/when-your-child-can-t-decide#:~:text=we%20not%20only%20give%20them%20practice%20with,resilience.%20They%27ll%20learn%20what%20they\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">they\u2019ll only become better decision makers through practice<\/a>. You can help a child of any age make decisions by teaching them the following:<br><br>&#8211; <strong>Making a wrong decision isn\u2019t the end of the world<\/strong>. Mistakes happen and can be fixed together, so it\u2019s okay if you don\u2019t choose the best option at first.<br><br>&#8211; <strong>Thinking longer and harder won\u2019t make the decision any easier<\/strong>. Sometimes you have to go with your gut because over-analyzing causes more problems.<br><br>&#8211; <strong>It\u2019s okay to have mixed feelings about your decision<\/strong>. With every choice you make, you have to give something else up, and that can feel bad. It doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wrong-decisions\/\">the wrong choice<\/a>.<br><br>As you expand your child\u2019s range of freedom according to their maturity, they\u2019ll probably make a lot of bad decisions. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/the-power-prime\/200910\/parenting-decision-making\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">they\u2019ll learn that their decisions have consequences and a bit of sting will help them steer clear of similarly poor choices in the future<\/a>. When your child\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/methods-of-decision-making-crucial-conversations\/\">decision-making<\/a> skills are eventually challenged by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/overcoming-self-doubt\/\">self-doubt<\/a> or the influence of trouble-making peers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mother.ly\/parenting\/how-to-get-your-teenager-to-trust-you-mama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">encourage them by letting them know you trust in their ability to make good choices<\/a>. Similar to Willink\u2019s strategy, extending trust will motivate your child to trust you in return.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-note-about-empowering-your-team-to-cultivate-self-discipline\">A Note About Empowering Your Team to Cultivate Self-Discipline<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as it\u2019s useful to know how to empower your team, it\u2019s also beneficial to get your team members to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-self-discipline\/\">develop self-discipline<\/a>. External discipline (i.e. delivering a command) may get your team to do the bare minimum of what\u2019s required to achieve a task, but it won\u2019t inspire maximal effort.<strong> <\/strong>On the other hand,<strong> self-discipline is an internal force that drives your behavior and gives you a sense of personal control over what you\u2019re doing<\/strong>. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-endowment-effect\/\">sense of ownership<\/a> inspires more commitment and effort to succeed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To cultivate self-discipline in your team, explain <em>why<\/em> your request matters for their own success and the success of the team\u2019s mission. If this doesn\u2019t work, you may have to apply external discipline by ordering your team to complete necessary tasks. Ideally, your team will eventually realize the benefits of the forced discipline for themselves (such as pride in their results) and adopt the practice voluntarily.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>The Relationship Between Motivation, Habits, and Self-Discipline<\/strong><br><br>Which is more important for self-discipline: motivation or good habits? According to psychologists, the two may actually go hand-in-hand. Research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/mind-brain-and-value\/202101\/the-power-intrinsic-motivation#:~:text=if%20that%20behavior%20is%20already%20intrinsically,Extrinsic%20motivation%20is%20a%20fickle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intrinsic motivations are more effective than external motivations for developing successful habits<\/a>, and having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/best-habits-for-success\/\">successful habits<\/a> may drive self-discipline.&nbsp;<br><br><strong>Extrinsic motivation<\/strong> is similar to the external discipline that Willink describes: a drive based on external reward or punishment. For example, a monthly bonus you\u2019re trying to earn or your fear of disappointing your boss after she gives you a project to do. In contrast, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/intrinsic-motivation-psychology\/\">intrinsic motivation<\/a><\/strong> is your drive to do what you innately enjoy or are interested in.<br><br>In a study observing the effects of different motivation sources on long-term weight loss habits, external motivation was shown to be short-lived and ineffective, while<a href=\"https:\/\/ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/1479-5868-9-22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> intrinsic motivation was long-lasting and effective<\/a>. Based on this research, a clinical nutritionist makes the case that<a href=\"https:\/\/www.secondnature.io\/us\/guides\/mind\/motivation\/motivation-vs-discipline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> intrinsic motivation <em>and<\/em> discipline are required to reach your goals<\/a> and achieve long-lasting health. In this view, discipline is essential to perform the daily habits that lead you to accomplish your goals.&nbsp;<br><br>Similar to Willink\u2019s theory, the clinical nutritionist\u2019s view is that <strong>intrinsic motivation may form <em>after<\/em> you perform a habit over time<\/strong> and discover something about it you enjoy. The difference is that Willink says someone\u2019s internal drive to do something will develop once they recognize its benefits or develop pride, whereas the nutritionist\u2019s view is that you\u2019ll develop self-sustaining behavior once you find something in it you enjoy.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to know how to empower your team? Why is it important to empower teams? Author Jocko Willink developed a series of leadership principles based on his 20 years of experience as a U.S. Navy SEAL. According to him, by learning how to empower your team, you\u2019ll elevate your team members to success by enabling them to become leaders themselves. Keep reading to learn how to empower your team to lead, according to Willink&#8217;s advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":66332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,14,42],"tags":[844],"class_list":["post-87856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-management","category-motivation","tag-leadership-strategy-and-tactics","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Empower Your Team to Lead: Jocko Willink Explains - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to know how to empower your team? 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