Multiplying Your Light

Leadership

King David was tired. Why wouldn't he be? The guy has had quite a life! He has been in and out of power, hunted by people he thought were his friends, fallen to temptation, lost children, united kingdoms, fought bears, backstabbed by his own son, and won countless battles. He started his military career in a public, one-on-one fight against a giant, and here he was many years later in a fight against an army of giants again. He was weak and exhausted.

So much so that he was backed into a corner by the enemy, about to be turned into bird food when his men had to rescue him and get him out of there. They basically said, "Listen, old man, you are a great king, but you've become a liability on the battlefield." No mas.

"And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to David's rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David's men declared, 'You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?'" (2 Samuel 21:15-17)

One of the hardest things to do as a leader (or parent) is to let go- to transfer responsibility and authority to someone else.

We all feel that nobody can do it the way we can. Worried that if we don't do it, it's not going to get done or done right. For some, there may even be an underlying fear of becoming less significant, less needed, losing control.

While it's the most difficult, it's also the most powerful thing we can do. Equip our teams and children to own their results and train them to execute and lead. It's not giving up control or responsibility, it's transferring it and expanding it. Giving it up means you are powerless; transferring it is a multiplier.

Being afraid or unwilling to trust your team to take ownership of results is exhausting. If they aren't capable, that's on you. You either haven't surrounded yourself with the right people or haven't given them the chance to prove it. It's the same with your children. At some point, life will catch up with you, and if you haven't transferred the fire inside you to someone else, your light may be snuffed out. But if you do it well and fight alongside them for a while, like David discovered, they will have your back, drag you out of the way, and take the reins at just the right time.