Are You Giving Away Tasks or Giving Away Authority?

Be careful about what you give away...

It's not enough to teach, train and discipline people to exhibit the right behaviors and follow thru on completing tasks.

You also have to empower them to make decisions based on the situation around them.

Better yet, you have to give them authority to make decisions on their own.

It's the difference between delegating tasks and delegating authority. (Great insight from Craig Groeschel!)

If you delegate tasks, you'll get mindless followers who constantly look to you to make decisions.

If you delegate authority, you'll get leaders who look to you for VISION.

This is what it looks like if you only give away tasks instead of authority:

Mentoring

I remember in my High School days a leadership event that harkened back to the 1970's for a process to multiply leaders. It was:

I do

I do, you watch

You do, I watch

You do

The problem is, it doesn't capture active participation from both parties and it doesn't reproduce itself.

When I attended THE NINES, here is a modification of that process that answers both limitations:

I do, you watch

I do, you help

You do, I help

You do, I cheer you on

You do and someone else watches

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Is this more effective? How have you seen this in action (or not)?