Control or Growth?

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. ­– PROVERBS 19:21

Do most of the operational decisions in your business have to flow through you?

Are you hesitant to raise up leaders with true authority in fear they may fail?

Would people in your business say they struggle feeling empowered to be creative and innovative in the roles they’ve been given?

If you find yourself answering yes to any or all of these questions, you might be hindering the growth of your company by not releasing control.

Cal Zant, President of Betenbough Homes, says, “You can choose control or growth, but you can’t have both.” The reality of every human being is that we have limitations, and striving to maintain control and growth is an impossible feat. If our Father is kind (and He is), He will allow our choices to lead us to a place we realize something has to change.

God deeply wants to bless your business. On an even deeper level He wants to expand His Kingdom through your business. But we have to change our definition of growth to match His. We’ve said it before, but it is worth stating again that profit is important … in fact, it is like breathing. If you stop breathing you will die. But breathing is not the purpose of life. If your definition of growth is solely dependent on a graph that goes up and to the right, you’re missing the point.

In God’s economy, growth is Kingdom expansion, and that can often look like a business that is sustainably growing and flourishing economically. However, it never happens at the expense of people. In fact, Kingdom growth is an increase in love in the hearts of the people who work within the walls of your company. It looks like people growing into their God-given potential. You see it through collaborative decision-making. Decisions begin to be made for the collective good of everyone, not just a few.

Leader, if you are close to burnout and feeling isolated and empty, now is the time for you to surrender control. Step off the treadmill and begin releasing true authority. Trust others with the daily operations of the business. This is the first step to seeing God’s Kingdom begin taking over in your business.

Let’s be clear – what this doesn’t look like is a leader abdicating their responsibility as the final decision maker. As Rick Betenbough, founder of Betenbough Homes teaches, the leader/owner decides the purpose and direction of the company and should be the final authority on all related decisions. But as you learn to bear this mantle of leadership, it is important to practice giving away tasks related to how the business gets where you want it to go.

This may look like restructuring so you can focus on knowing and growing your people.You may need to review the list of operational tasks you hold tightly and give some responsibility to others so you have time to ask God to lead you and your business. It may be time for you to empower that person on your team who has the potential to take the business further. As Nathan Hasse, CEO of RelevantTec says, “True authority is only true authority if you give someone enough authority to fail.”

No matter which next step you take, we encourage you to ask the Lord to guide you.

Think and pray
Following Jesus is not complicated, but it does require courage. Giving away control to see your business grow will require a type of faith that only God can provide you, but this kind of obedience is what brings the truest form of joy, not to mention Kingdom flourishing.

It’s time to get started.

Father, show me where I need to pursue Your way rather than my way. Help me grow as a leader who develops and empowers others to serve and operate in their areas of strength. Let me not fear the potential outcomes, but rather show faith in the skilled people who work with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Kingdom At Work is a movement that seeks to inspire, equip, and ignite leaders to advance God's Kingdom through their influence in the marketplace. Their mission is to reveal God and His Kingdom through our work in the marketplace. Learn more about Kingdom At Work at https://kingdomatwork.com.