Make Room for Another Leader

Notice the person who needs an opportunity

It can feel good to be the person everyone depends on. We know how the work should happen, and we can usually do it faster ourselves. But if every responsibility keeps returning to us, other people have little room to develop.

In Acts 9 (opens the passage on Bible.com), Barnabas brings Saul to the apostles and speaks about what has happened in his life. People are afraid of Saul, and Barnabas helps them hear more than the reputation they already know. He uses his influence to open a door for someone else.

Who on your team needs a thoughtful opportunity? Look for character, willingness, and potential. Have a conversation before making assumptions about what somebody can carry. Sometimes a developing leader needs someone to notice them and say, “I believe you can grow in this.”

Explain the responsibility clearly

An opportunity becomes more useful when a person understands it. What are we trying to accomplish? What decisions can they make? Where do they need help? Who should they talk with when a problem comes up?

Craig Groeschel’s clarity-and-trust framework gives us a helpful way to examine our practice. Clear instructions without meaningful trust can leave a person afraid to act. Trust without direction can leave them working hard without understanding the goal.

Give a person a responsibility they can understand and the room to carry it. Explain the boundaries that protect the work and the people involved. Then allow them to use their gifts. They may approach a task differently from you and still serve the purpose well.

Stay involved in their development

Ephesians 4 (opens the passage on Bible.com) describes leaders equipping God's people for ministry. That calls us to invest in people as well as assign work. A handoff should include support, feedback, and opportunities to learn.

Agree on a time to check in. Ask what is clear, what is difficult, and what they are learning. Give specific encouragement and address problems honestly. If something goes poorly, help them understand it and take the next step. Growth requires a relationship strong enough to hold both encouragement and correction.

We also need to be willing to celebrate someone whose contribution becomes greater than our own. Another person's development is a good result of leadership. The work grows stronger when more people can carry it faithfully.

Lead this week

Choose one responsibility you currently hold and one person who could begin learning it. Invite them into a conversation. Define the purpose, their authority, and the support you will provide. Set a check-in before you finish. Empowerment becomes real when belief in a person turns into a clear opportunity and a continuing investment.