Feeling Overwhelmed? Learn to Delegate!

The Fastest Way to Burn Out? Doing It All Yourself

Be honest...how often do you feel buried under your to-do list? You start the day with big plans, but by noon, you’re drowning in emails, unexpected calls, and “quick favors” that eat up your time.

At some point, you’ve probably thought, If I don’t do it, who will? That mindset is exactly what leads to burnout.

Trying to do everything doesn’t make you productive, it actually makes you ineffective.

Even Moses, one of the greatest leaders in history, fell into this trap. He tried to handle every single issue among the Israelites, until his father-in-law, Jethro, stepped in and said, “This is not good. You will wear yourself out… You cannot handle it alone” (Exodus 18:17-18).

Jethro’s advice? Delegate. And that’s exactly what Moses did.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to take a page from Moses’ leadership book.

Step 1: Recognize That Delegation Is a Leadership Strength

Too many entrepreneurs and leaders hesitate to delegate because they think it makes them look weak or incapable. The opposite is true.

Jethro wasn’t telling Moses to step down as a leader, he was telling him to lead better.

Great leaders don’t do everything; they empower others to take ownership. Delegation allows you to focus on what you do best while letting others step into their strengths.

🔶 Mindset Shift: Delegation isn’t about dumping work on others. It’s about distributing responsibility so that everyone can function at their best and in their strengths.

📌 Action Step: Identify one task you’re holding onto that someone else could handle. Write it down and make a plan to delegate it this week.

Step 2: Know What to Delegate (and What to Keep)

Not every task should be handed off. The key is knowing what only you can do versus what someone else can take over.

Here’s a simple way to decide: 

✅ Keep: High-level decision-making, vision casting, and tasks that require your unique expertise. 

✅ Delegate: Repetitive tasks, administrative work, customer inquiries, and anything outside your zone of genius.

Moses didn’t hand off everything. He delegated smaller disputes to appointed leaders while keeping major cases for himself (Exodus 18:22).

🔶 Rule of Thumb: If someone else can do a task at 80% of your ability, delegate it. They’ll get better with time, and you’ll free up your energy for bigger things.

📌 Action Step: List 3 tasks that take up too much of your time and could be passed to someone else.

Step 3: Trust Your Team (and Let Go of Control)

One of the hardest parts of delegation? Trusting the people you delegate to.

Moses had to trust the leaders he appointed. He didn’t micromanage them; he equipped them, gave them authority, and let them handle their responsibilities.

If you’re constantly checking in, redoing work, or hesitating to delegate because “they won’t do it like I do”, you’re still holding on too tightly.

🔶 Fact: No one will do things exactly like you (unless you properly train them to). That doesn’t mean they won’t do them well.

📌 Action Step: The next time you delegate, resist the urge to micromanage. Give clear instructions, step back, and let them own it.

Step 4: Set Clear Expectations and Communicate Well

Delegation fails when expectations are unclear. If Moses had simply said, “Handle the small disputes” without further direction, there would have been chaos.

Instead, he gave clear guidelines on who was responsible for what. That’s what made the system work.

Before you delegate, make sure you’re clear on: 

✅ The outcome you expect 

✅ The deadline for completion 

✅ The level of authority they have 

✅ How progress will be tracked

The more specific you are, the smoother the process will be.

📌 Action Step: Before handing off a task, ask yourself, Would I feel confident doing this if I were in their position? If not, provide more clarity.

Step 5: Focus on the Bigger Picture

Moses didn’t just delegate for the sake of making his life easier, he did it to protect his leadership and serve his people better.

Exodus 18:23 says, “If you do this… you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

When you hold onto everything, you limit your capacity and frustrate those around you. When you delegate wisely, you create space for growth, sustainability, and impact.

🔶 Bottom Line: Delegation is about creating a stronger, healthier organization or business.

📌 Action Step: Ask yourself, Am I leading in a way that allows my business/ministry to grow, or am I holding on to too much?

Let Go and Lead Well

Feeling overwhelmed isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a sign that something needs to change.

Moses learned to delegate, and it made him a better leader. If you’re carrying more than you should, take Jethro’s advice: Find your team, trust them, and start letting go.

📌 Challenge: Pick one area of your work that you’re ready to delegate this week. Take the first step today.

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