“A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.” –Lao Tzu

In AIESEC, we usually talk about leadership qualities and how to better ourselves. We seek to develop leadership that strives to empower, and that can come from a lot of things. It could be through doing the right things at the right time or simply by acting sensibly or courageously as we go. However, I’ve come to believe that nothing has been more satisfying to me than to be empowered by helping others develop.

Empowering others happens only by doing positive things. Being conscious of the words we say or what we do, as well as inviting others to understand different perspectives is essential. There’s always a positive way to handle challenges, always a positive route away from negative consequences. Positivity is a high road, that people often looking to change the world reach.

There are four major tactics involved in empowering others, that fosters an environment of trust which in turn helps people learn from success and analyze their failures:  Share, create, teach and celebrate.

It might be overused in its stance, but sharing IS caring. From sharing perspectives to information, nothing builds trust better. It supports a learning environment that helps us take the best possible decisions in critical situations. Working in a team requires you to create goals and objectives which serve as a basic foundation that is needed to find a common framework for the group. This lets a team make empowered decisions.

We have all heard it a million times – that it’s okay to make mistakes, but more often than not, we find ourselves criticizing those who do. The best way to empower people is to let them try new things, to fail, and then teach them that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as we learn our lessons. That’s what makes one experienced. And while we’re at it, it is beautiful to celebrate both the successes and the failures of everyone who took a risk in order to become better leaders. Results may not always be positive, but the lessons learnt will forever be valuable.

The benefits of empowering others are endless and it’s how true leaders achieve results. We’re all offered various opportunities through our lifetime to develop and empower ourselves and others. I found mine in AIESEC. Here’s where you can too – at aiesec.org. Find your opportunity!