Leadership Struggles: Delegating Authority

Over these past several posts we’ve processed some leadership struggles. Some are general struggles many leaders have and others are things I’ve specifically struggled with in some capacity or another. Today is more of that later. I’ve learned how to delegate authority to those I lead much better over the years but it has been a process and a journey to say the least. I think this a layered or tiered discussion. What I mean by that is we move from one place to the next in order to accomplish the task of giving authority to others. This isn’t something that comes easy for many and requires a handful of things to do it successfully. Let’s take the journey.

Before diving in, there are different thoughts on a pure definition of leadership. Some talk about leadership is influence like John Maxwell while others follow the Drucker ideology that leaders are those that have followers. Truthfully, I’ve subscribed to either and both at different points in my life . I recently heard Les McKeown say this about leadership,

“Leadership is any act that gets two or more people closer to their common goals. The only reason leadership exists is because there’s somewhere we need to get to.”

I love that but no matter which of these you believe most in, it’s important to remember this as we press into delegating our authority. Too often we look at our titles or our positions as our leadership but actually these are just the ways in which we steward our leadership. The first step in the journey of delegating or passing along authority to those we lead is learning to let go.

Whether it’s simply out of pride or we’ve put ourselves in a position where we can’t let go, too many leaders are unwilling or possibly afraid of passing along leadership. You may have heard the idea that we should be “working ourselves out of our jobs” and while that sounds a bit scary, what happens when we do this is we work ourselves into better jobs our opportunities. If the purpose of leadership is to move people towards their common goals and the purpose of my position is to steward that well, I have to give some authority and leadership to those behind me to get them moving. If you’ve followed my journey or read any of my previous writing you’ve probably heard me say,

“the best leaders teach their teams to lead and then give them the lead.”

I stand by this! We have to let go of some of our authority in order to develop others in leadership roles. When we come to the place of doing this we will find ourselves moving into the next phase of the journey. It’s one thing to come to a place where we’re willing to part with some of our authority and another place to be willing to allow them to do things in a way that’s different than the way we do it. This is something I still struggle with at times. I naturally think that the way I do things is the correct way and oftentimes it is. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the way one of my team members does it is wrong, it’s just different.

We must, and I repeat must, learn to be okay with things not being done exactly how we think they should. I’m going to be clear, there are certain tasks that have a certain way they have to be done. Maybe that was your way or maybe it was the way someone else taught you but it’s the right way. I’m not talking about those moments. I am, however, talking about every other moment. When we release some of our authority we have to release the way things are done also. There’s a lot of room for follow up, coaching, and even processing why they did it a certain way but we must be cautious to assume our way is the only right way. Who knows, you may learn something also. It’s not easy and again, this is something I still struggle with at times but I have to step back from myself and process why I feel what I’m feeling. For me, it’s usually pride and I have to swallow it and move on.

I believe these things are the big struggles with delegating authority but let me briefly talk about why it matters. When this is done well, it benefits those we lead, us, and our organizations. It benefits them by giving them opportunities for leadership and growth. It makes them have some ownership in the task at hand and the organization itself as well as give them more value. It helps us by taking some things off our plates but it also shows those that lead us how well we can lead others. When those we lead have value placed back into their lives they are typically happier and work harder. This brings us to the good of our organization. What organization (church, business large or small, not for profit, etc.) would not want happy, hard working people involved in it? This is an investment that pays off in dividends!

I recognize the struggle this is and can be. It’s something I’ve walked through and continue to walk through. Those of us who wish to lead well have to take this journey seriously. If our goal is to move people in a common direction with a common goal, it’s can’t be just ours. May this be an encouragement to you as well as a challenge to keep growing in your life and leadership. Stay the course, you have what it takes!