Let Go!

Over the past few days, I have been reading a few interesting books, namely the GE story, the Google story, eBay story etc. One thing that strikes me as I analyze their growth trajectories is their focus on building strong teams and empowering the people under them.

But why is it that very few companies actually manage to successfully build lower-order teams?

One of the most important qualities is the need to let go. We feel insecure that we will not be needed or will lose our place if we share all the information that we know. We desire to be wanted, feel important, etc. And what happens when you learn to let go? When we empower our people and make them a part of all our decisions, they feel more committed to the company’s cause. It reduces stress for us because we have effectively created a second-line who can always step in when things get too hectic for us. And the company grows because you have an empowered team of people committed to the growth.

So a suggestion for the month, let’s forget our ego, let’s trust our people, let’s delegate work and share information openly. Share all your knowledge and watch your companies grow.