Empowerment is "the freedom, responsibility and accountability to act within a set of guidelines that define one's authority to make decisions and generate actions that he or she knows will be supported." Empowerment programs can transform a stagnant organization into a vital one by creating a shared purpose among employees, encouraging greater collaboration and, most importantly, delivering enhanced value to customers. The Essential Levels/Steps of Empowerment For simplicity, the levels of empowerment are illustrated as distinct steps. In ....