Let go & others will grow

One of the hardest leadership attributes to master is "delegation".

Someone on vacation or out sick? Guess who did their work? Sudden emergency? Guess who jumped in to save the day? I had to learn the hard way that I did not have to do it all.

Now our son Mark struggles much the same way.

We received a notice late this week that a local group will be at Eagle Aviation tonight to see off a contingent of sailors headed for the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. They will give each sailor a box of Girl Scout cookies. They will let them know that they are appreciated.

Mark feels compelled to cover their departure for our newspaper. He has a soft spot in his heart for military people. His father and his grandfather served their country.

Mark lived with the troops in Iraq in 2003, covering their deployment. He saw some awful stuff happen to good people over there.

I understand what drives him. He came by it honestly. It's in his genes.

But, he doesn't have to cover their departure this time! He has other good people he can assign to do it. And they will learn from the experience.

He has to learn to relax and let go. Only then can his people grow.

Easy lesson to talk about. Harder attribute to practice.

What say you? Send your comments.

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