No matter how gifted a leader might be, he or she can’t do everything. While that’s a painfully obvious statement, leaders often poorly handle the solution: delegation.

Why is delegation so important? For the same reason it was important to Moses. After trying to do everything himself, Jethro told Moses, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” (Exodus 18:17-18).

If we fail to delegate, we’ll hit the ceiling of our leadership, and it’s only a matter of time before we burnout.

However, how we delegate also matters. Leaders take a variety of approaches to delegation, but many create their own set of problems. Let me share five types of delegators, and the cure for each one.

Non-Delegators

Non-delegators simply refuse to let go of tasks and responsibilities. Why? Some are too insecure, afraid they will no longer be needed. Others are too critical, believing only they can do a task just right. Still, others are so busy that they don’t think they have the time to train someone else to take the lead.

Moses was a non-delegator early in his leadership journey. It wasn’t until his father-in-law, Jethro, watched Moses in action that his lack of delegation was finally exposed (Exodus 18). Jethro not only pointed out Moses’ gaps, but he helped Moses identify his highest priorities and then gave him a simple strategy to let go of everything else.

If you remain in the role of non-delegator, three things will happen: you’ll limit your leadership potential and the growth capacity of your church; you’ll fail to develop the potential of the people you lead; and you’ll eventually burnout.

What’s the cure for non-delegators? Start small and start now. Identify three things you can delegate immediately, and then meet this week with the person you want to delegate them to.

After letting go of those tasks, begin forming a habit of reviewing your task list through the lens of delegation. Rather than asking, “How can I do this?” Start asking, “Who can do this?”

Micro-Delegators

Micro-delegators let go of tasks, but then they micromanage the people delegated with the tasks. While the task may be off the leader’s plate, it’s still on their mind. They may have physically let go, but they haven’t mentally let go. Instead, the leader hovers over the shoulder of the person assigned the task, looking for mistakes and ensuring the task meets their standard.

What’s the cure? A micro-delegator needs to define and communicate desired outcomes, and then let go and trust the person to accomplish those outcomes. If it’s a major responsibility, the leader should schedule check-ins for coaching and accountability.

Dumping Delegators

Dumping delegators are at the opposite extreme of micro-delegators. They let go of anything and everything without giving any consideration to a person’s strengths, passions, or schedule.

You will obviously benefit from letting go of tasks, but make sure the motive of your heart is to grow people and serve the church.

A dumping delegator doesn’t stop to ask, “Can this person do this job?” “Will this task deplete them?” and “Are they in a season where they’re already stretched too thin?” Dumping delegators are so focused on getting tasks off their plates they don’t take time assigning them to the right individuals.

What’s the cure for dumping delegators? Delegate to team members with their gifts and growth in mind. In other words, make sure the tasks you delegate will ultimately leverage gifts and maximize growth. Then, before you hand a task off, discuss a team member’s schedule to determine if they currently have the bandwidth to assume additional responsibility.

This simple process will help you see beyond your own interests. It will enable you to keep the health and interests of your team members in focus.

Careless Delegators

Careless delegators are willing to let go of tasks, but their careless approach causes them to forget three very important ingredients to healthy delegation.

First, careless delegators forget coaching. In other words, they turn over tasks to others without giving them the coaching they need to succeed in the tasks. Coaching begins by giving team member the knowledge, training, and resources they need to win. But coaching is more than an initial onboarding process. Sometimes it needs to be an ongoing journey, especially when the responsibility you’ve delegated is fairly significant.

Second, careless delegators forget accountability. Once they turn over the task to a team member, they fail to follow-up and hold the person accountable. As a result, the leader assumes everything is fine until they’re suddenly blindsided by a lack of results, or worse, a crisis. Accountability is a good thing, and it ensures expectations are clear and objectives are being met.

Third, careless delegators forget appreciation. A leader might forget the task, but they can’t forget the person. Somebody owns the task, and that team member needs to know the leader is appreciative of their hard work. Delegation without appreciation creates resentment and disengagement.

People enjoy the opportunity to assume greater responsibility. They appreciate a leader’s willingness to trust them with more opportunity. However, they don’t appreciate delegation that lacks coaching, accountability, and a lack of appreciation. These three keys are the cure for careless delegators.

Empowering Delegators

Leaders should strive to be empowering delegators. These delegators share several important qualities. Empowering Delegators:

• Have identified the priorities that demand their time
• Are secure enough to delegate everything else
• Consider their team members’ time and talents before delegating
• Use delegation as a way to develop and grow leaders
• Provide coaching, accountability, and appreciation during and after delegation
• Don’t micromanage after they delegate
• Equip team members with resources to succeed
• Provide appropriate authority to get the job done

This form of delegation is empowering for the leader and the team member. It’s a healthy way to let go of tasks, grow the capacity of your team, and raise up future leaders.

While there’s not a cure for empowering leaders, there is a warning. Be sure your motives remain pure. You will obviously benefit from letting go of tasks, but make sure the motive of your heart is to grow people and serve the church.

Which type of delegator are you? If you really want to know, ask your team. Then take the steps recommended to overcome your delegation gaps and move closer to becoming an empowering delegator.