You have to enable and empower people to make decisions

Hear the words of Tom Ridge, a leader forged in the trials of governance and security, who declared: “You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I've learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead.” In this saying lies a wisdom that echoes across the ages: that true leadership is not the tightening of control, but the release of trust. For the leader who clings to every decision is like a general who fights alone on the battlefield—he may be brave, but he is doomed. The wise leader knows that to multiply strength, he must share it.

The ancients knew this truth. When Alexander the Great marched with his armies across the known world, he did not hold every sword, nor give every command himself. He entrusted his generals with freedom, empowering them to act swiftly in his name. Because they felt the weight of his trust, they carried his vision across continents. Thus did his leadership extend beyond his own presence; his empowered lieutenants became the living extensions of his will, magnifying his strength far beyond what one man could achieve.

In Ridge’s words we hear not only strategy, but humility. To enable another is to accept that one does not need to be the center of all wisdom. To empower another is to accept the risk that they may act differently than you would. Yet it is in this very release that leadership is made greater. For a leader’s task is not to create dependence, but independence—not to make followers who wait for instruction, but partners who carry the flame forward with confidence and initiative.

History gives us another shining example in the life of George Washington. During the long years of the American Revolution, he could not be everywhere at once. He gave authority to his officers, trusting them to make decisions in the field. By doing so, he preserved the army through hardship and defeat, and in the end secured victory. His empowerment of others allowed his cause to live beyond his presence on the battlefield. Had he clung to every choice himself, the fragile army would have collapsed under the weight of central control.

The deeper wisdom of Ridge’s words is this: a leader is not diminished by sharing power—he is magnified. For when each person on the team feels the dignity of trust, they do not merely act as servants; they act as extensions of leadership itself. Their loyalty grows, their creativity awakens, and their energy multiplies. In such a team, the leader’s influence spreads like ripples on a pond, touching places he himself may never reach. This is leadership not of domination, but of multiplication.

The lesson, then, is clear: if you would lead, do not hoard authority as though it were gold in a vault. Spend it freely as seed scattered across fertile ground. Trust those under your care, and give them room to act. For in this act of empowerment, you transform them from followers into leaders, and in so doing, you magnify your own power many times over.

Practical action flows from this wisdom: in your work, give others the freedom to make decisions. In your home, allow each voice to be heard and valued. In your community, share responsibilities rather than clutching them tightly. Do not fear mistakes, for even in error lies growth. Teach, guide, and then release, knowing that empowerment is the truest test of leadership.

So remember always Ridge’s charge: enable and empower, that your leadership may live not only in yourself but in those around you. For a leader’s greatness is not measured by how much he controls, but by how much he inspires others to carry the mantle with him. And when you do this, your power will not diminish—it will grow, shining through many hands and many voices, like a flame that becomes a thousand torches lighting the way.