In 1521 Martin Luther was hiding in a castle, declared an outlaw by the emperor. He could have spent those months writing more arguments.
He translated the New Testament into German, in about eleven weeks.
Before that, ordinary believers depended on clergy to tell them what the Bible said, in a language most could not read. Afterward, a farmer could read the text at his own table. A few years later Luther wrote a short catechism so parents could teach their children at home.
The idea. Luther did not say, “Trust me in place of them.” He handed people the source. Delegating authority, the fourth step of the LEADS Path, works the same way. Empowerment is not permission to act. Empowerment is the tools, the information, and the standing to act well. If your team must come to you to learn what the customer said, what the budget allows, or why the goal matters, they hold responsibility without the means.
The action for this week. Identify one piece of information only you hold that your team needs in order to decide well: a number, a customer conversation, the reasons behind a goal. Give them the source this week, not your summary.
“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”Acts 17:11, ESV
Jake
P.S. The longer story is in Leaders in History. Read Martin Luther.