Empower People by Not Giving Them Tasks — But by Asking What They Can Do

When I look back at my time as a Group Leader in college, I see so many moments of learning. At that time, I genuinely believed I was empowering people by distributing work thoughtfully — by matching tasks to what I thought each person was best at. I distributed the responsibilities carefully, thinking I was helping everyone perform at their best.

But in reflection, I see now that I was doing something else entirely. I wasn’t empowering people. I was assigning them.

And there’s a world of difference between the two. I realize now that in deciding for them, I had unknowingly taken away the very thing that makes people feel alive in a team — the chance to choose how they want to contribute. By being the one who always decided, I made the work mine and their participation an extension of my plan.

I thought I was being efficient, even considerate. But in truth, I was limiting their ownership. If I could go back, I wouldn’t tell people what to do — I would ask them, “What can you do?”

That question holds power. It invites initiative. It creates space for people to bring not just their skill, but their sense of purpose. It allows them to step in as themselves, not as executors of someone else’s vision.

When I decide someone’s task, I’m using my perception of their ability. But when I ask, “What can you do?” I’m opening a space for their self-expression. Maybe they see possibilities I can’t. Maybe they bring an energy or idea that I’d never have thought of.

That’s what empowerment really is — not assigning, but inviting. I’ve also realised that people don’t need direction as much as they need belief. When you give someone a task, they work within the limits of what you think they can do. But when you invite them to contribute, they begin to work within the possibilities they see for themselves.

It’s such a simple shift, but it changes everything.

Next time, instead of saying, “I need you to do this,” I’ll say, “Would you like to support the expansion of this project?” or “How do you see yourself contributing here?”

Because empowerment doesn’t come from assigning duties — it comes from creating space for choice.

When people choose to contribute, they bring not just effort, but ownership. And ownership is the heart of true leadership — when everyone in the room feels responsible for what’s being created together.

Looking back, I don’t regret what I did — it was what I knew then. But I’m grateful for what I see now.

I don’t want to lead by giving people work.I want to lead by giving them possibilities.

And in that space of possibility, something beautiful happens — people stop waiting for instructions and start creating together.

That, I think, is where real leadership begins.

When I read Effective Delegation in Handbook for Life and came across the matrix showing different kinds of people and the language they speak, it really brought this learning together for me.

The insights I'm discovering through the 'Curriculum for Business' continue to unfold in ways I never anticipated. If what I've shared resonates and you'd like to dive into 'Effective Delegation' yourself, they're available to order online. Just reach out to us on reachus@victormanickam.com and know all about or get yourself the 'Curriculum for Business'.