To delegate is to elevate; to dump is to diminish.

A wise man by the name of Solomon spoke this morsel of wisdom,

“…catch the little foxes before they ruin the blossoming vines.” Solomon

understood the blossoming vines to represent healthy relationships, and

the foxes are those “little things” that can destroy relational health and

well-being. That said, if leadership is about relationships, and

relationships depend on trust, then leadership requires a trustworthy

person with the heart to build and maintain an environment of trust.

Putting an untrustworthy person in a leadership position is like

putting a fox in the hen house. Eventually that person will use their

position to benefit or satisfy themselves. It is in the fox’s nature to serve

their wants and needs before others. So, it is with artificial leaders who

are “ME” focused. Their hunger for prestige, power, and control over

people needs feeding daily. One such method they utilize to feed their

need is that of “dumping” on their people. Artificial leaders don’t share

the load; they make other people bare the load alone. This action is not

only overwhelming, but also oppressive, and even worse is when the

leader nit-picks until the tasks are complete. These action bolsters

bitterness in the workplace.

Dumping is one of those little foxes that can destroy relational trust

and stability. To dump is to diminish the value and destroy the resilience

of a person or team. Wisdom says, it is best to catch that little fox before

it wreaks irreparable havoc. Authentic leaders do just that because they

hunger for personal growth and professional  development. Their desire

is to make people better, not bitter. 

Authentic leaders will not shock people with power but rather

shape people by utilizing power wisely. These leaders choose to

delegate, not dump. They understand that to delegate is to elevate

people to a higher level of performance. An authentic leader’s goal is to

assist those they lead to tap into their personal potential by empowering

them with the authority to accomplish certain tasks that will enhance

professional wisdom and improve their capacity to lead effectively. In so

doing these leaders clear the path to individual, team, and organizational

success. Remember, it is never too late to elevate!