“Sometimes it costs less to pay someone else to do it than it does to do it yourself.”
This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article on the same topi: learning to delegate. Here is the transcript of the podcast:
Have you ever worn yourself out doing something by yourself because no one else will do it, or because they will not do it as well as you know it needs to be done? I have, and on today’s episode, that’s the question we are going to explore. It’s really the question of control, of whether or not we are willing to relinquish control and to ask, assign, or allow someone else to do something. Therefore, we’re going to talk about the importance of delegating.
In the first few months of my first experience as Head of School, I was confronted with this lesson. And I mean that literally – my boss confronted me about it. I was young, and although I had administrative experience, it had been in a supporting role. I had never had my own administrative assistant before, and I was used to doing all the detail work on my own in order for my necessary tasks to be done, and to be done well. But now I was the Head of
School, with an administrative assistant. In spite of that, I was doing my own detail work – preparing and printing documents, managing my calendar, and running errands for myself. It didn’t take long before my boss called me into his office to tell me I needed to delegate to my assistant. I felt guilty about handing off work that I could do myself . . . until he reminded me that there was other work that I needed to be doing that she couldn’t, and therefore I needed to give her work that she could do for me, so I could focus on the other things that only I could do. He also reminded me that by not delegating many of these things to her, I was preventing her from doing her job well, which was not fair to her.
The truth is, you cannot do it all. Exodus 18 paints a picture of this with Moses when we see him handling ALL of the legal disputes and cases. His father-in-law pointed out to him that it was a pace he could not maintain, and explained how the end result would be bad for both Moses and the people. In the same way, if you are leading an organization, you are not and should not be a one-man show. And so, you need to be willing to delegate. Other people have skills that you do not have (or they need to be able to learn those skills), or they have specific responsibilities that are part of their duties, and so it is important that you not get in the way of that, for their sake as well as yours. You also need to be willing to let them do it even if you don’t think they can do it as well as you. First of all, humility is a much better character trait than arrogance, so accept that you might not be as good as you think, and they might be better than you think. Second of all, they cannot learn and grow the way that they need to if they are not given the opportunity to try and to make mistakes.
This boils down to the fact that the ability – and the willingness – to delegate is an important and necessary skill. Remember, It’s not just important for you, it’s also important for them. In your leadership, you need to be looking for three things:
- Those things that should be done by someone else, because that person is better at it than you, or that person has the responsibility to do it, and you don’t.
- Those things that can be done by someone else, and be done well enough, in order to free you to put more focus on things that are more important for you to do.
- Those things that ought to be given by you to someone else, so that you can be intentional about giving them opportunities for growth.
Here’s what you need to take away: If you don’t learn to delegate appropriately, both your leadership and your personal well-being will suffer. You will likely burn out, cause others to feel unvalued or inconsequential, and your work will become less effective and less excellent. As my dad would say, sometimes it costs less to pay someone else to do something than to do it yourself. In this case, it will likely cost you more to do it yourself than it would if you were to delegate.
So, it’s time to self-reflect and identify where, why, and how you need to begin delegating. If you already are, that’s wonderful, but if you are not, then go back to three things you need to look for: what should be done by someone else, what can be done by someone else, and what you ought to give to someone else. Then take your first step, and delegate.
I am not a micro-manager, nor do I try to do everything. I have learned (sometimes in humiliating fashion) that there are many who have far more knowledge and much greater ability than I do. And so I have also learned the value of asking questions and letting other people do what they do well. At times, though, that has not prevented me from trying to control, manage, or do everything, usually because of the mistaken assumption that only I can do what needs to be done in the way it needs to be done. The result, typically, is that I become exhausted or overwhelmed, others are deprived of the opportunity to grow and excel, and there are things that get missed, all because I did not delegate.
Exodus 18:13-27 provides a fantastic example of the lesson of delegation. What’s described in this passage is the story of how Moses, the leader of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, was hard at work doing what leaders often do: managing conflict. His father-in-law came to visit and observed Moses’ leadership activity, and this is what he saw: 1) Moses was the primary decision-maker, and 2) it was consuming him (v. 13). In fact, it is worth noting that he was so committed to the task of ministry that he was unable to tend to his family (verse 2 says that Moses had sent his wife and children to stay with her parents during this time). When his father-in-law observed this, he decided to step in, paint a picture of what was happening, and provide some counsel to teach Moses the value of delegating.
A verse-by-verse analysis of that passage in Exodus provides a wealth of information that helps us understand this principle of delegation. First, we see the problem with Moses’ failure to delegate (vv. 14-16), and the resulting impact (vv. 17-18). Moses’ method of leadership revealed:
- Micro-management – he was trying to do it all, by himself;
- Over-commitment – it was consuming his entire day, to the neglect of other needs;
- Self-importance – he believed he was the only one who could do it; and
- Spiritual justification – he justified his behavior as an important task for God.
The effect of this method included:
- Collateral damage – it impacted the people around him who were trying to help;
- Burnout – he was literally wearing himself (and others) out;
- Over-burdened – he was carrying too much weight and responsibility, which would make him ineffective; and
- Isolation – he was trying to do all this by himself, which left him alone.
Then we see the proposed solution (vv. 19-22) and the expected benefit (vv. 22-23) of changing his method. A change in leadership style, specifically by learning to delegate, would involve six components:
- Advocating – establishing himself as the representative of the people;
- Communicating – expressing expectations and instructions;
- Selecting – choosing additional leadership, people who were capable, had integrity, and feared God;
- Delegating – assigning tasks and responsibility;
- Empowering – providing the authority to serve and lead in the assigned roles; and
- Regulating – establishing the hierarchy, division of responsibilities, and process of managing and supervising.
The result of this type of delegation would make the work of the ministry much easier. Because the load would be shared, it would produce these benefits for both Moses and the people:
- It would be God’s work, not Moses’ work;
- As a result, the direction would be more clear;
- The burden would be bearable; and
- The customers would be satisfied.
Moses did listen to his father-in-law (demonstrating a teachable spirit) and incorporated these suggestions into his leadership practice. This passage in Exodus concludes with a description of how he did this, by selecting competent leaders and giving them their responsibilities. They fulfilled their responsibilities well, while Moses continued to manage the most difficult issues and conflicts. This is a powerful lesson and example for us as leaders. All too often, under the guise of “serving God,” we do too much and do it by ourselves, believing that this behavior is a mark of spirituality and a servant’s heart. In reality, it makes us ineffective for God, and most of the time, it damages relationships (particularly those closest to us – our families). Learning to delegate is a valuable principle and practice of leadership, demonstrated by Moses. Let’s follow that example.
“The mind can absorb no more than the seat can endure.” (Pastor Jack McMaster on why he didn’t preach long sermons)
This week’s episode builds on Monday’s article on the same topic: the importance of giving people the opportunity to try. Here is the transcript of the podcast:
Have you ever thought, “If only someone would give me a chance”? I have, and on today’s episode, that’s the question we are going to explore. Whether it’s fear of failure or of how it might make you look, unrealistic expectations or perfectionism, or for some other reason, often we are looking for a chance but don’t take the opportunity when it presents itself. So today, we are going to talk about why it matters to try something that is new or that scares you, and why it’s important to give the people you work with the opportunity to try as well.
I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a perfectionist. Or maybe a lot of a perfectionist. For that reason, and mixed with my people-pleasing tendency, I will sometimes resist trying something that I think I might not do right the first time, especially if someone else is watching. But I’ve also learned I need to try anyway. I once tried to sing in the choir at church, and the director asked me to narrate the program because my singing was throwing off everybody around me (think “Barney Fife” in the Andy Griffith episode where the church choir was singing in a competition). But I also remember the first time I was offered a head of school role. I felt unqualified and unprepared, but I also knew it was what God was calling me to do, so I tried, and God blessed the work and grew me.
Clearly, I was not successful in everything I tried, but if I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have been successful in anything. A big part of the learning is in the doing, and if I waited until I was perfect and knew everything before trying, chances are I would never try. Along the way, I found some things I could learn to do well and others that were not in my wheelhouse. But even in the things I learned to do well, I made a lot of mistakes along the way, so I needed to give myself permission to make those mistakes, or else I might have quit trying.
There is a learning curve in everything new that you do, and research shows that the first part of a learning curve is actually a dip in performance before the improvement and growth begin to happen. Often, people will experience this initial decline, assume it means failure, and quit before the upswing in growth. You need to understand this in yourself, but you also need to understand it in others. It is in the trying and the doing that you will learn, grow, and develop. Likewise, it is in the trying and the doing that those you are mentoring or leading will learn, grow, and develop, so it actually becomes your responsibility to find ways for them to try. Side note here: like I said on the last episode, if you don’t make it safe for them to fail, you probably won’t be able to convince them to try.
So here’s what you need to take away: I have often told students when dealing with a discipline situation, that if I were perfect, I could expect the same from them, but I’m not, so I can’t. In the same way, you will not be perfect the first time you try something, nor will others that you are leading or developing. However, you – and they – will learn in the process, therefore, it is so important that you be willing to try, and that you give others the opportunity to try as well.
The bottom line is this – you need to be willing to try, and willing to give others a chance to try as well. As I already mentioned when I referenced the last episode, making it safe to fail is a critical factor in getting people to be willing to try. If they – and you – don’t try, you will never know if you can, and you jeopardize your own learning and growth. So give yourself and others a chance to try.
I vividly remember one particular day in my 8th grade math class. I don’t remember what concept the teacher was teaching, and I don’t remember many of the details, but I remember the specific experience. The teacher was reviewing concepts from the previous night’s assignment and called me up to the chalkboard to work out one of the problems. The next few moments were terrifying for me. I was so scared to stand in front of my classmates and demonstrate a math concept that my hands began to visibly shake as I walked to the front of the room, and then . . . I don’t remember anything else until I sat back down. What happened between standing up and sitting down was and is a complete blank. I knew at that moment that I could never do something that would require me to be in front of people.
So, there is great irony (and providence) in the fact that my career has required extensive interaction with and in front of people. I would never have imagined that I would have had the opportunity and experience of leading organizations, speaking in front of people, and developing other leaders. When I think about this, I can see that there are several important factors that played a role in my development, but one of those was simply the opportunity to try. My church asked me to teach a class, an administrator gave me some responsibilities, a student group asked me to speak at an event, and a variety of other opportunities were provided that helped me to grow as a leader and helped me to develop skills.
You see, leadership development doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It involves both knowledge and practice, both learning and doing. You learn a lot by studying, by having someone teach you, but you also learn a lot by doing. Therefore, a critical component of leadership development takes place when people are given the opportunity to try by getting the chance to do. That’s why John Kotter, when he speaks about creating a culture of leadership, says that “people who provide effective leadership in important jobs always have a chance, before they get into those jobs, to grow beyond the narrow base that characterized most managerial careers. . . . The breadth of knowledge developed in this way seems to be helpful in all aspects of leadership” (What Leaders Really Do, in HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership (2011)). This is why you need to take opportunities that are presented to you, even if it is a little outside of your comfort zone. You need to be willing to overcome your fears and stretch yourself, knowing that you won’t do everything well and you’ll make mistakes, but you will learn and improve.
While this is true for you, it’s also true for those you are leading. George, Sims, McLean, and Mayer, in an article discussing Authentic Leadership, explain that “authentic leaders . . . know the key to a successful organization is having empowered leader at all levels, including those who have no direct reports. They not only inspire those around them, they empower those individuals to step up and lead” (Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, in HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership (2011)). You will be a much better leader if you intentionally look for opportunities for those you lead, opportunities for them to step up and take some leadership, to stretch themselves, and to grow their abilities. Perhaps it involves leading a project or a task; maybe it’s leading a discussion, study, or meeting; it could be taking the lead on learning a new concept to share with others. It can be a variety of ways, but regardless of what path you use, be purposeful about providing growth experiences.
The simple truth is that growth and development take place when you have the opportunity to try. Therefore it makes sense that you must be intentional about taking those opportunities, and it also makes sense that – if you want to be a leader who develops others and you want an organization with a culture of leadership development – you become intentional about giving others those opportunities. Take advantage of experiences that will help you grow, and give your people a chance to try.
Have you ever seen someone’s spirit get crushed? I have. I can remember sitting in a fast food restaurant when I was young, when a boy at a nearby table spilled his soft drink. His mother immediately reacted by loudly and harshly belittling him with her words, and by publicly humiliating him. He was visibly crushed. If he learned anything from that experience, it most likely was that accidents are unforgivable and should never happen. He learned that, in his world, it was not safe to make a mistake.
When people believe that it is not safe to make a mistake or to fail, they will stop putting themselves at risk. They will stop taking chances, putting in effort, and growing. Instead of taking a risk, or learning something new, or stepping up to the plate, they will revert to a place of self-preservation. They do this to protect themselves from the consequences that could come with failure, by removing the risk of failure altogether.
We need to remember that failure plays an important role in the development of leadership. In fact, it plays an important role in the development of all people. For that reason, leaders need to have the right perspective regarding failure, so that they can intentionally harness its power for good, and a right perspective on failure includes three important ideas.
- Failure is certain. We are imperfect people, living in an imperfect world. We each have particular strengths, but we also each have particular weaknesses. We learn by experience. This combination of factors guarantees us that we will make mistakes and that, at some point, we will fail. You can see illustrations of this everywhere you look – babies learning to walk, teenagers learning to drive, students taking tests, professional football quarterbacks throwing interceptions, and countless other examples (think about this: a really good professional baseball player fails at the plate at least 2/3’s of the time!). The reality is that people make mistakes, and this will always be true. And while failures and mistakes sometimes have the potential to be fatal, generally, failure is defeating only when you let it keep you down. As it has been said, “It’s not how many times you get knocked down that count, it’s how many times you get back up.”
- Failure is valuable. Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Clearly, he viewed every mistake, every setback, as a learning opportunity. That’s what makes failure valuable. It provides an opportunity to learn, to change, and to grow. By implication, if you don’t learn from your failures, you won’t change and grow; rather, you will continue to make the same mistakes. This differentiation is one of the attributes that characterize leaders – they are able to learn from their mistakes and improve. However, the underlying context that makes this work is an environment that allows someone the opportunity to learn from mistakes. It only makes sense, then, that if it is not safe to make mistakes and learn from them, people will avoid behaviors that bring the possibility of failure, and, therefore, will miss the opportunity for growth that comes from those same failures.
- It can be safe to fail. Given both the certainty and the value of failure, it becomes important for leaders to cultivate a culture that makes it safe to try and fail, and there are three steps that can be taken to help ensure this.
- First, provide opportunities for people to try. Experience is such an important part of growth and development, but experience only comes when someone has the opportunity to try – to lead a project, manage a task, facilitate a discussion, plan an event, and so on. What we have to keep in mind is that (like a baby learning to walk) people will stumble in the process of learning something new and stretching themselves.
- Therefore, the second step is to have a response that is instructive, not destructive. Use it as a teachable experience, one from which they can learn. Take time to evaluate the causes and contributing factors, the mistakes that were made, and provide guidance that will ultimately produce greater growth, confidence, and development.
- Finally, the third step is to give people a chance to get back up after they have fallen, to “get back in the saddle” and try again. The goal is that they have learned from their failures and become more competent and skilled, which will be better for everyone. And if they don’t learn, then you have; you now know that they are beyond their limits of performance, at least at this point in their personal development, and therefore you, the leader, can choose not to give them those opportunities again.
President Theodore Roosevelt once declared, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much or suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Failure is an important part of life. Make it safe for people to fail and then to learn.
I recently had the opportunity to answer a few questions on leadership with Jonno White, from Clarity, in the “7 Questions on Leadership” series. Take a look at my interview questions and answers here! These interview questions give a small picture of what I have learned in my leadership experience.