Get In The Wheelbarrow
In the nineteenth century, the greatest tightrope walker in the world was a man named Charles Blondin. On June 30, 1859, he became the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. Over twenty-five thousand people gathered to watch him walk 1,100 feet, suspended on a tiny rope, just 160 feet above the raging waters. He worked without a net or even a safety harness of any kind. The slightest slip would have been a fatal one. Then, with all eyes watching him, he began to walk across the chasm. When he safely reached the Canadian side, everyone cheered in relief.
In the days that followed, he walked across the falls repeatedly. He walked across, taking a chair and a stove with him, sat down at the midway point, cooked an omelet, and ate it. Another time, he walked across on stilts, and another time he pushed a wheelbarrow loaded with 350 pounds of cement across the tightrope. One of his most memorable times was when he asked the cheering spectators if they thought he could push a man across in a wheelbarrow. The crowd cheered in agreement. Seeing a man applauding loudly, he asked,
“Sir, do you think I could safely carry you across in this wheelbarrow?”
“Yes, of course,” the man replied.
“Get in,” the Great Blondin said with a smile.
The man refused.
However, one man trusted Blondin, his very own manager, Harry Colcord. Colcord agreed to ride on Blondin, piggyback style, across the tightrope. With 10,000 spectators watching, Colcord climbed on Blondin’s back and held tight as the daredevil walked across Niagara Falls. Colcord had to dismount and remount six times along the way for Blondin to rest.
Do you trust your team? Are you willing to get in your team’s wheelbarrow and let them take you further?
You have to give authority to others to make decisions and then allow them to do it. The real test of empowerment is what happens when you are not around. Does your team have the authority and ability to get things done? By not releasing authority, you can stall the process of progress. However, when others are trusted to make decisions, they will rise to a higher level of ownership in their responsibilities. When leaders give their team authority, it expands productivity. People produce faster when there is minimal red tape to navigate through.
One small act of empowerment can change the whole timeline of success.
CHALLENGE QUESTION: Who are you not empowering to rise up to the next level?
