One of the most critical moments in the ministry of a leader is when his or her responsibility expands. The move from leader to team leader, support staff to director, or associate pastor to senior pastor can be both daunting and exhilarating. Whenever our area of influence grows, we face the challenge of responding with leadership equal to the new task before us.
What this does not mean, however, is that we must face the task alone! No one person is sufficient to tackle every area of responsibility. We may pull it off for a while, but eventually the damage will be done. In fact, the lack of delegation is not just negligent, but sinful. Both the Old and New Testaments point to critical times when leaders faced the need for delegation; Moses and the 12 apostles learned respectively that withholding delegation was “not good” and “not right” because it adversely affected the people they were leading, future leaders and their own calling and leadership.
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Why don’t we delegate tasks to others?
There are several reasons:
• At first, it takes more time and planning to train someone to do what we’ve already been doing.
• The person may not do it as well as we do. (Control issues)
• The person may do it better than we do! (Ego issues)
• Pride. Moses, although the most humble man on earth, may have struggled with this temptation. “The people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
• We overestimate the short-term “pain” and underestimate the long-term “gain.”
So, How do We Delegate?
First, we must define the task. What are the parameters? How long will it take? Is there a deadline to meet? Is the task more supervisory or administrative in nature? Etc.
Second, we must consider the potential outcomes. How can the assigned task succeed? How might it fail?
Third, we must give it away. A good delegator not only gives away the responsibility, but the authority to get the job done. When delegating, always make sure you clearly lay out the objectives and expectations of the assignment.
Finally, we sit down with the delegate, evaluate with him or her how he or she did; find the good and praise it!
Someone has said the four stages of training are as follows:
1) I do—they watch.
2) We do together.
3) They do—I watch.
4) They do and report back.
Be Aware…
When delegating, we must remember a few things:
1) What are the person’s gifts and wiring? Is this assignment truly a fit? For instance, the delegate may be so introverted or scared that we shouldn’t ask him or her to teach (no matter how great the need is!) This is not an argument against the positive approach of stretching an individual with an opportunity he or she’s never experienced; rather, it’s a caution against forcing someone into a role just because there’s an urgent need there.
2) We must delegate by starting small and building to the big task. Jesus said those faithful with a few things He would entrust with many things. We can set the delegate up for success by allowing him or her to grow into a role gradually, step-by-step and task-by-task.
Sharing the Joy
Tragically, withholding delegation is withholding a gift to other leaders, because it robs them of the joy of doing ministry. Consider what the new roles of leadership meant for the men Moses called:
“It evoked talent; it ennobled them by placing them in positions of responsibility before their fellowmen; it drove them to personal dealings with God; it inspired them with a fellow-feeling with Moses; it turned critics into sympathizers and companions; it educated them for positions for which they might be required in the emergencies of the future.”—F.B. Meyer
A truly healthy ministry exists when leaders are free to attend to their calling, while equipping other leaders to pursue theirs. Whether teaching decrees and laws, waiting tables, praying, judging cases or helping teenagers grow in their faith, when we delegate wisely, we set up an atmosphere where the Word of God can spread and the number of disciples can increase.
This article originally appeared in The Young Life Leadership Handbook, 2011.
