Discussion Questions for the OFF THE SHELF selection for December, EMPOWERED! Ordinary People, Extra

The December 2021 OFF THE SHELF selection is EMPOWERED! Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products by Marty Cagan and Chris Jones, copyright 2020, Wiley.

By combining practical advice with inspirational passages about the relationship between empowerment and leadership, EMPOWERED invites you to consider the potential inside every member of your team. And then find the key to unlock it.

We want to hear from you! Post your answers to these discussion questions and be part of the conversation!


  • In EMPOWERED, authors Cagan and Jones demonstrate how empowering teams to take ownership of their work leads to better products, greater revenue, and happier staff. Consider your teams for a moment. Do they take ownership of their work? If so, how?
  • The authors state, "Empowering means creating an environment where your people can own outcomes and not just tasks." After reading the book, what are some steps that you, as a leader, can take to create such an environment?
  • EMPOWERED invites you to consider the potential inside every member of your team. What are some ways you can apply this mindset to the recruitment and hiring process? And then, the training process?