Why You Should Empower Your Employees If You Want To Succeed

Forbes

06-05-2025

Empower your employees to make decisions. Easy to say, tough to do. But it's especially important during uncertain times like these. With so much happening that's impossible to predict, it's natural for employees to be afraid to make decisions, fearing that they will be blamed if things don't work out. It's important to let them know that you trust them and you won't blame them if their idea doesn't succeed.
TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie with his sister Aviator Nation founder Paige Mycoskie Pam Mycoskie
TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie told me that he viewed his role as helping others do their jobs better, and he did that by telling his top people to serve everyone in their groups. He calls this approach 'servant leadership.' By that he means that he told his leadership team to help their employees develop and perform as highly as possible. He tried to influence his staff through showing them that he trusted them to make good decisions. One way he did that was by admitting his own mistakes.
Blake views mistakes as a net positive to help the company learn and grow. When people know they won't be punished if their approach doesn't succeed, they are more willing to own their decisions. Blake said he showed his employees that mistakes can become opportunities because he didn't cover up his own errors. He didn't hide them or blame them on others. In his book 'Start Something That Matters" Blake says, 'If you extend more trust than you might normally be comfortable with -- and more than most business books tell you to do -- even though those mistakes will come with a cost, over the long term you'll be paid back with interest.'
Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings at the New York Times DealBook Summit Held In New York City (Photo by ... More Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Getty Images
Netflix is famous for empowering employees to make decisions. They strive to give employees complete information about what's going on, and complete freedom and responsibility to make decisions. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings explains how that leads to better decision making and a more agile company. In his book 'No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention' he says, 'When you tell people exactly what to do, you remove their sense of ownership. But when they make decisions themselves, they feel more responsible for the outcome - and they're more motivated to get it right….If employees are empowered with context and trust, they can act quickly and smartly. That's how you build a culture of innovation and accountability.'
As at TOMS, when Netflix staff made thoughtful, responsible decisions that were aligned with the company's goals, they weren't punished if the idea wasn't successful -- even if it cost the company millions. If they made a tough call that failed, the message was that it was a learning experience. This is a core belief at Netflix: Empowering employees to make decisions results in thoughtful risk taking, which results in innovation, which is essential for growth. Empowering Employees Isn't Affected By Political Views
Chris Ruddy, chief executive officer of Newsmax. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg © 2023 Bloomberg Finance LP
Political leanings of the organizations don't affect how employees are treated. Successful companies on the left and the right all learn that they thrive when they empower their employees. Newsmax was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in April. Its CEO Chris Ruddy says "The key is to hire good people and leave them alone. Everyone needs direction, and once they have the mission and the goals, a smart, experienced person figures out the plan. It's important to build a collaborative process where no one alone makes all the decisions nor tries to control. Keep lines of communication open, be flexible and let the job get done!'
Strelmark CEO Hilary Fordwich in the studio Kevin Allen
Strelmark CEO Hilary Fordwich explained that empowering his employees made working with them a pleasant experience: 'I can speak first hand as to how different the experience is with each and every employee. They really are so empowered. The entire team end to end is like a large family, totally and utterly supportive of each other. Media is a unique industry, so attracting talent isn't the toughest issue, it's how to retain the very best.' It's Even More Important Now
Ethan Penner, Chairman of Hill Street Realty ethanpenner.com
As Hill Street Realty Chairman and Greatness is a Choice author Ethan Penner says, "With a recession seemingly likely and AI threatening many jobs, financial insecurity is running high. This is the time for visionary and compassionate leadership to help people navigate to a better future."
Productivity improves when people feel that they are empowered to make decisions, that their contributions are valued, and that they won't get in trouble if their ideas don't succeed. Treating your employees well is always key to a successful company. That is even more important now.