Leadership: Building Trust Though Delegation

“I really don’t trust you” is an indictment none of us wants to hear when talking to people with whom we work and minister. It would be offensive and disturbing to hear we are not trusted – that someone has doubts about our abilities or even worse our character. We all like to think of ourselves as someone in whom others can place their confidence.

Leadership like relationships is built on trust. We want to be trusted but we must also extend trust. There is a strategic way a leader can build trust. Over the years, I have observed a critical mistake many leaders make, a mistake that screams, “I really don’t trust you!”

Perhaps you could never fathom making a statement like that to someone serving alongside you or anyone for that matter. I doubt many of you reading this blog have ever actually used those words either quietly or otherwise in a sentence. However, you very likely have said them by your actions. Not trusting someone with time, money or position are only a few of the ways we show a lack of confidence.

When as leaders we refuse to delegate, we are actually saying, “I really don’t trust you.” We may not use words but we are saying it none-the-less. Delegation is one of the greatest tools in the leader’s toolbox for developing new leadership. This tool should be used skillfully and liberally with the end goal of reproducing strong leaders at every level of your ministry or organization.

Here are a few things you need to know about delegation…both negative and positive:

• It is not about giving away all the jobs you do not like to do.
• It is not about authority without responsibility.
• It is not about responsibility without authority.
• It is not about comparison or uniformity.
• It is not about working yourself out of a ministry.
• It is about having an accountability system that includes evaluation.
• It is about turning loose and making room for mistakes to be made.
• It is about freedom of expression and personality within boundaries.
• It is about assigning tasks that will aid in a personalized growth process.
• It is about developing others to multiply ministry over and over again.

Delegation is one of the strategic ways as leaders we say we trust people. It is a way to develop strong trusting relationships with others who are becoming leaders. Our responsibility as leaders is to disciple others in their walk with Christ. Delegation can help us identify those who can become future leaders, those who can grow.

If we are willing to properly use delegation, it will become a powerful vehicle by which we communicate “I really trust you.”