I HATE the word Delegate!
Ok Ok… I may be slightly exaggerating, but I really really dislike that term. I mean I understand the concept of using this word to describe leading in your organization. The reality of this is 100% true. You can not do it all by yourself! But the problem with the word “delegate” is in most leaders’ minds whether that is consciously or subconsciously it means to assign tasks. Many leaders hear delegate and think it means removing things off of their plates. While this may be partially true. If this is your motivation it creates micromanaging leaders who are only assigning tasks instead of authority.
Micromanaging is just as ineffective as being a lone ranger leader and doing everything yourself. What we have to do as leaders is not “delegate” but “empower” the people on our team. Something happens in your mind when you start telling yourself you are going to empower people. You no longer assign just a task, but you start assigning authority and that builds leaders. A task creates a busy employee, but authority creates empowered leaders! We must understand duplication is the only thing that leads to multiplication. If you want to multiply the growth in your organization then you must duplicate yourself as a leader.
Now I am going to be 100% honest with you it’s way more difficult upfront to empower than to delegate. It’s easier to just micromanage a task and have it done exactly the way you want it done, but it will grossly limit your organization’s growth and potential in the long run.
So how do we empower the leaders on our team and set them up to succeed? John Maxwell said, “if someone can do it at 80% as well as you then let them do it”. But I like how Craig Groeschel says it a little better, “if they can do it at 50 to 60% as well as you but with momentum then let them do it. This will let them grow into it and one day they’ll surpass you”.
So we need to discover our team members’ potential, empower them with authority, and also we need to set them up to succeed. Here are 4 ways to empower your team so that they will achieve success.
1. Be Clear With Your Expectations.
When you’re transferring authority you are not assigning a task, but an area of responsibility. With that, you have to be crystal clear on their responsibilities, your expectations, and the fact that you will be giving them feedback along the way. You cannot over-communicate these things upfront. The more clear you are on your expectations the less confusion they have, the less anxiety they develop, and the more confidently they will move forward.
2. We Champion Their Ideas.
When you empower someone they are going to think out of the box and differently than you and as long as they still align with the vision of your Church then you must encourage that. There is no greater feeling as a leader when your team is dreaming and working on their own accord. There is nothing like seeing your team rally the people they lead to accomplishing a project or an event. We must encourage that drive. We do that when we constantly champion their ideas and give them permission to run with their ideas.
3. We Help Them Grow Through Feedback.
We must let our team members know that we desire for them to be the very best they can be and that growth happens through feedback. Feedback is a great thing, but only if they understand the motive behind it and if it is given in small chunks. Many times as leaders we like to go over a list of all the things to work on, but too much feedback can actually cause them to feel defeated. The relationship with your team members is a process and we grow one step at a time. Think long term with your team members.
4. Celebrate Them!
You need to see the wins and celebrate the wins that your team is accomplishing. Lavish your team members with praise publicly and privately as they continue to knock it out of the park. Nothing builds confidence and encourages more initiative in your team than when their leader celebrates them!
Duplication is the ONLY thing that leads to multiplication. Empower your team and watch your organization not just see addition to its growth, but multiplication to its growth. Empowering leaders attract leaders!
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