2-4-6-8 Delegate

I worked in ministry for several years with a good man who taught me much about life and ministry. He used to remind me that I could be much more effective when I learned to delegate some tasks and then focus my attention on other tasks. He used to say: “2-4-6-8 we must learn to delegate”! I never forgot that saying or the principle inside it. There are things I can do that I can’t let others do for me, but there are several things that I do in my day-to-day business that I can hand off to someone else. The person I “hand off” too can be a volunteer, co-worker, staff person or I may have to figure out a way to hire to that particular need.

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro observed Moses work load and spoke right into Moses about a different style of leadership. He gave Moses some sound advice that would keep him from burnout and would also serve the people more efficiently. Check this out…

The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people at all times, but let them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.’ (Exodus 18:18b-23 NIV)

I see so much wisdom in what Jethro shared with Moses. I also see that the advice was given in humility and with deep concern for Moses as well as the people Moses’ was serving. I believe Jethro may have been the first “time management guru”! There are some solid principles inside this small passage:

• Teach the people instruct them in detail.
• Select capable leaders from the group to lead.
• Serve others in leadership is the call placed upon them.
• Share the load of leadership.
• Satisfaction comes when servant leadership is working properly.

I remember a quote from Andy Stanley who said: “Play to your strengths and hire to your weakness”. Leadership is tough sometimes because I sometimes like all the things I do, but I could be so much more effective if I could learn the art of delegation. Moses’ obviously displayed such a servant leadership heart that the people responded immediately and they were happy to give him the help he needed. The people waiting in line to see him, now were served much more efficiently and he actually could make it home for dinner with his family! I’m still learning to delegate as I seek to serve the very people I find myself leading.

Pressing On!

Dwayne