Pluses
1. It is physically, emotionally and spiritually impossible to do everything yourself.
One of the cores of all good leadership is training up the next generation of leaders. By definition this means delegation must happen. There is no success without a successor.
2. Delegation allows every team member the opportunity to learn and excel.
Each team member can operate in the realm of his or her strengths if the leader delegates accordingly. It also allows other team members the opportunity to develop and discover their own strengths and weaknesses. I have always been amazed by how many organizations require “experience” for various job openings, but very few organizations and leaders are willing to provide a platform to gain experience.
3. Delegation raises up the next generation of leadership.
Nothing is more unbiblical or unproductive than church leaders who keep a lid on the next generation. Paul delegated the enormously important task of appointing elders in Crete to Titus. He also delegated enormous responsibility to Timothy at the Church at Ephesus. Leaders in all organizations should remember that one of their key responsibilities in leadership is the task of equipping in training.
Minuses
1. There will always be mistakes. However, failure is not final. It requires patience.
Just like a baby stumbles when learning to walk, ALL leaders stumble when learning to lead.
2. They will do it differently than you, and that is okay!
Many seasoned leaders have not figured this out yet. They think that something is not correct if it is not done the way that they would do it. The goal in delegation is to get the job done, and train someone in the journey. It is not to create a robot of yourself that carries out every task exactly like you would do it.
3. Fatal flaws will often be revealed in the process of delegation.
In the journey of delegating, the weaknesses of leaders will rise to the top. While it may be frustrating at the time, this is the perfect environment for helping those leaders overcome their weaknesses and build their strengths.
Conclusion
If you are planning to do anything of significance, it will require more people than yourself to carry out the various tasks for the journey. One is always too small a number to achieve great things. So delegation is not optional. I have numerous nightmare stories about delegation in my own leadership journey. Yes, I have been disappointed, betrayed and deceived on several occasions. But I cannot allow my past experiences to prevent me from delegating in the present and future. If I do, I have just put a lid on my dreams.
What are some other pluses or minuses of delegating that you can think of? Write them below in your comments and help someone else from your own journey.