What makes Autonomy Integral for Growth?

Autonomy is a critical component of our success. It is the ability to make independent decisions without relying on external factors and the freedom to explore the consequences and reflect on whether they align with our overall goals.

Skills development, ownership, emotional well-being, enhanced decision-making, confidence, risk-taking, creativity, and innovation are some of the many benefits of having a certain sense of autonomy and control in our professional path. Autonomy and a sense of freedom have the potential to broaden our horizons and enable us to perform even better under limited or no control in most situations.

However, having autonomy at work is not a reality for all. While some can be trusted with decisions, others may not be given autonomy due to the organizational hierarchy or past experiences.

As leaders how can we support and foster an autonomous culture?

The first step is to understand the individual and align his/her strengths with the tasks at hand so that you are completely confident about the resources vested in the process. Develop a growth mindset and instill the belief that with the right opportunities and tools individuals can learn, adapt and develop their skills along the way.

Talking about a recent instance, we had a team with an excellent manager with incredible skill sets. He was however skeptical about exercising autonomy as a practice within the team. Considering that the team was fairly skilled and had displayed their expertise over time it was difficult to inspire them to stick to the project. The HR team could even sense the attrition rate skyrocketing.

Autonomy vs bureaucracy, we had to come up with a quick solution without letting any of our resources resign. Thanks to a Leadership web series I was watching, the idea of leading the team by example was reiterated over and over again.

Here’s what we did. We inspired the manager to pick one resource with a task that was not directly related to ROI. The idea was to let him perform over a week independently and review how he faired while we evaluate the creativity, innovation, and application value of the suggestions proposed during the week. The results we astounding and the ideas were truly worth a try and completely offbeat which perfectly aligned with the client’s requirements with a B2C focus predominantly.

Creating an autonomous work culture is truly essential to instill an atmosphere of trust and confidence within the team and achieving organizational goals collaboratively. It urges the individual to do way beyond what’s expected solely due to vested trust.

While it may seem like a daunting task as beginners implementing an autonomous work culture here’s how you can get started.

1. Understand what your inhibitions are as a leader, is it the lack of trust in the team, personal inhibitions, or insecurity about losing control? Whatever may be the reason, be open to discussing your concerns with the team. It helps in creating a deeper level of understanding and reflecting on the various possibilities that are practical and doable.

2. Once you’ve identified the resources and have a blueprint of the plan, take small but firm steps to get started on implementation, and don’t let procrastination take over.

3. Review the progress periodically and see reflect on what’s working well to accomplish the overall objective.

4. Provide feedback as a continuous source of learning and motivation, that encourages the desired actions. This helps the team to be more accepting of the changes needed and be open to looking at mistakes merely as opportunities to grow.

5. Provide ample opportunities for training and development that instills confidence further and increases their risk-taking and creativity to try different solutions.

6. Additionally, it is critical to recognize and reward the team as a way to inspire motivation that encourages them to strive for excellence.

7. Playing the devil’s advocate and giving constructive criticism is an excellent way to help employees learn from their mistakes while staying focused on growth. This is one thing that I have been implementing continuously in my journey as the CEO of Champions Group. Constructive criticism is an invaluable tool that ensures continuous learning. When employees are given precise feedback about the threats and opportunities to thrive, it helps them align their future course of action with the overall team and organizational goals.

But is this possible at the workplace? While most of us would want to be our boss, the circumstances may not be conducive. Does this mean you take the leap of faith and become an entrepreneur? Commendable if you can and make it big, but what if you don’t have the skills and expertise yet to get started as an entrepreneur? How can you feel a sense of autonomy while working for an organization?

A shift in mindset can do the trick. If not an entrepreneur of an organization, be an intrapreneur within the organization

While the terms “entrepreneur” and “intrapreneur” are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences between the two. An entrepreneur is someone who builds his brand and is more open to taking risks and embracing uncertainty as a way to accomplish financial goals.

Intrapreneurs, however, work within the organization and take calculated risks. They operate as independent units within the team. The focus is more on creating a positive impact and being recognized for their accomplishments. Individuals with an intrapreneurial mindset have a greater sense of commitment than those who don’t.

Overall, both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs have a similar mindset to take on risks in the interest of the organization and have a great degree of commitment. No matter what your circumstances may be, don’t wait for autonomy to put forward your best efforts and be self-motivated.

Whether an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, it is important to grab every opportunity that comes your way. Give it your complete focus, and accept hardships as a way to grow and stride along with an open mindset. The businesses that have worked very well with our global clientele and seen 100% growth are the verticals that I was skeptical about venturing into. But when I look back at the journey it has taught me so much more as a leader and doubled up my confidence to venture more onto the roads less traveled. I truly wish you find success in the most unexpected junctures of your personal and professional journey as well.