Delegating Vision and Passion, Is it Possible?

I was sitting with my friend at coffee on Thursday talking about vision and passion. One of our mutual friends who has great wealth and tries to help others with said wealth says, “You can’t delegate vision and passion. What are you passionate about? Go and do it.” Or, “Let me know what you are passionate about and I will help you do it.”

My wealthy friend has often run into difficult situations in trying to help others. The “others” often looking for a job, or capital, try to figure out what my friend wants to get done/see happen and match up to his desire to obtain finances/financing. He therefore deflects back to them with his “You can’t delegate vision and passion” mantra.

It makes sense at one level but I think is fundamentally flawed for two reasons. The first is a general principle and the second is a misapplication.

The fundamental conflict I see is that at the core, the leaders job is – to delegate vision and passion. What are you doing if not that? The best at reading reports, or the best at leading people? The best at choicing out options, or the best at leading people? The best at following anothers orders, or the best at leading people?

I think that my friend would agree, but the second issue, the misapplication of the concept of delegation is where he gets tripped up. You see, my friend has great wealth because of the very thing that makes it difficult for him to delegate in the truest sense. He is very intelligent, sees a lot, has many gifts and often knows exactly what he wants to see done, or, exactly how “he would do it.”

Delegation means to give it away – and he loves to be in control. I will give him credit, he knows it and attempts to minimize his controlling personality but in the long run his demon always seems to make it way back into the situation.

Maybe it’s just semantics. You might argue a better word is “impart” – A leader’s job is to impart vision and passion. Regardless, if you hold on tight, you are not leading.

Let go and lead.

Rabs