Moses had a line outside his tent.
The story is in the book of Exodus. Moses has led a nation out of Egypt, and now he sits from morning until evening settling every dispute the people bring. Every question, large or small, waits for one man.
His father-in-law, Jethro, comes to visit and watches for a single day. Then he says what nobody inside the camp was willing to say. What you are doing is not good. You will wear yourself out, and the people with you.
Jethro’s fix is simple. Choose capable people who can be trusted. Put them over groups of a thousand, a hundred, fifty, and ten. Let them decide the everyday matters, and bring only the hardest cases to you.
Moses listened. The line outside the tent got shorter.
The idea. Moses was not failing for lack of effort. He was failing because every decision had one address. Jethro did not tell him to work harder, or to find helpers for the small chores. He told Moses to hand over the deciding. That is the difference between delegating a task and delegating authority. A task comes back to you for approval. Authority does not.
Notice who saw the problem. An outsider, in one day. The person at the center of every decision is usually the last to see the line.
The action for this week. Write down the decisions that reached you in the last five working days. Mark each one: only I can decide this, or someone capable could. Pick one from the second group and give that decision away, in writing, along with the information behind the choice.
“Look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people.”Exodus 18:21, ESV
Jake
P.S. Want to know where your team stands on delegation? The Self-Check takes five minutes. Take the LEADS Self-Check.