Delegate vs. Dump
One of the unspoken no-brainers about being a leader is that you need people following you. I mean, how can you be a leader without anyone to lead after all? For some leaders, those followers are paid, employees. For others, they are volunteers. For most church leaders, it’s a combination of the two.
As our churches grow or change over time, the need to create new ministries and job functions come with it. I recently had a conversation with a church leader trying to wade through the waters of growth and expansion at their church. He presented this dilemma to me, “I want to get more people involved in the work we’re doing, but sometimes I feel like I’m just dumping off tasks that I don’t want to do.” This leader would admit that this feeling of “dumping” made him feel bad wanted better for his people.
Delegate vs. Dump
My father was active in the United States Army for over 10 years, eventually earning Major’s rank before getting pretty badly injured in a tank accident. One of the first leadership lessons I ever learned came from something my dad employed with his soldiers. No matter what my dad was asking his soldiers to do, he did it first. Run the obstacle course? He led the way. Sleep on the dirt in a tent? He dug the first hole. No matter what it was, either my dad led the way or had done it first in some other way.
The difference between delegating a task and dumping it off is our motivation. If there is a task that we have done and would keep doing it if time allowed, to pass it on is delegation. If there is a task that we think is beneath us or so bad that we can abuse our people by doing it because we’re the boss, we’re dumping it off.
Here’s the thing about delegating or dumping, your people know which is which even if you don’t.
Valuing People
Delegating tasks invites people into contributing to the whole; they are doing something that you value, and they know it because you would do it if you could. Dumping things off tells your people that they aren’t important, which is why they are doing unimportant work. You might get submission with dumping off, but you’ll never get buy-in.
It is not dumping off if you recognize your weakness in an area and ask someone stronger in that area to do it. For instance, if you aren’t great with details, get someone else to do payroll. That is not dumping because you would be willing to do the task if you could, but your awareness of your limitations tells you to find a teammate that is strong in your weakness.
Leader vs. Boss
The difference between a leader and a boss is housed within the same points as delegating and dumping. Just because you are in charge does not make you a leader; it makes you a boss. If you want to lead people and be more than the person barking orders but has genuine buy-in from your people, you’ve got to lead the way. You’ve got to be the first one to do the hard stuff.
Do the hard stuff first. Delegate important tasks that you don’t have the time for anymore. Lead people more than you boss them around.
