Book excerpt: How do you get your team members to exercise appropriate independent judgment? How do you get employees to be more accountable for their actions? Leaders need team members to be empowered and proactive post COVID-19. What are the roadblocks? How are they overcome? Most books on employee empowerment bypass two critical relationships: the employment compact and the jobholder and their job. These two relationships hold the key to unlocking employee empowerment. This breakthrough book is for leaders who want to maximize performance through empowerment. It offers a new approach and practical strategies to energize employees to exercise their initiative when needed and be accountable for their actions. A proactive employee is engaged in their job and can confidently make decisions without overly relying on their manager.