At Vacation Bible School, two students were in charge of leading their peers in setting up and breaking down activities. On the first day, I noticed they were doing the tasks themselves. Meanwhile, their team was handling less urgent duties around the campus. I asked them, "Why isn't the team doing this?" They replied, "It's easier for us to just get this done, and we'll finish quicker." I responded, "I understand, and you might be right, but by not involving your team, you're sending the message that only you can handle the important tasks."
Even though they meant well, they didn't trust their team. They thought only they could do the task right. While sometimes a leader does need to roll up their sleeves, a better approach is to share the burden with your team. If you want to offload responsibilities, you need to practice mentoring and apprenticeship.
It starts with simple steps:
Follow and Observe:
Work Together:
Independent Task:
When you teach someone how to complete a task, you show them they have support if they get stuck. You'll make them better leaders because they'll learn to work collaboratively, ask questions, and evaluate tasks. Mentoring others is an investment, but it builds a stronger ministry. More people will understand that leadership isn't about telling others what to do but empowering them to embrace the vision God has for their lives.