If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.

Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere.

On my first pastorate, I had requested $20 per month from the board to pay someone to mow the lawn and care for the flowers on the church's property. "The former pastor did that himself," the oldest board member quickly pointed out. "I know," I replied, "But he doesn't want to do it any more."

[Mentorship] usually resulted in getting the toughest and most demanding jobs and working longer hours than most of a person's contemporaries. A mentor was someone who took the time to guide, counsel, advise, and teach and prepare one for increased responsibility, and thus higher rank.

General Carl "Tooey" Spatz was the first chief of staff of the separate air force. I asked him why, in his opinion, he was a successful leader. He responded: "I drink good whiskey and I get other people to do my work." There is more than humor in this thought. He meant he delegated authority to others. His assistant vice chief of staff was Maj. Gen. William F. "Bozo" McKee. In an interview, McKee related Spaatz's policy of decision making: I'll tell you a significant story about General Spaatz, and then you can see why he was so successful. When General Spaatz was chief of staff, Harvey S. Vandenberg was vice chief and I was assistant vice chief. By that time I had gotten to know Spaatz quite well. It was a Saturday morning, and Vandenburg was gone. I had three papers that had to be signed by the chief of staff, or at least I thought they had to be signed by the chief of staff. So I took these three papers in to General Spaatz shortly after eleven o'clock that morning. I said to him, "Sir, I've got three papers here that require your signature as chief." "I was a major general at the time, and General Spaatz looked up to me, and he said, "Bozo, didn't you just get promoted?" I said, "Yes, sir." "Who promoted you?" "You did, sir." "Why in the hell do you think I promoted you?" "Sir, I don't know." "Well, I'll tell you. I promoted you to sign papers like these. Do any of these papers have to do with war starting tomorrow?" "No, sir." "Then you sign them. If you make a mistake, I'll forgive you once. If you make a mistake two times, you're fired. Furthermore, I'm in a hurry because I'm due to meet some friends at eleven forty-five and I've got to go. So you sign those papers." I went back to the desk and read those papers three more times with great care before I signed them, and that was the last I heard of it. The reason I tell this story is that General Spaatz, when he had confidence in somebody, believed in the world's simplest fundamental of leadership--that is, to give your subordinates authority. Spell it out and then let them discharge it.

Six Levels of Delegation 1. Give me a report on the problem, and I’ll take action. 2. Study the problem, and make a recommendation. 3. Analyze the situation, propose a course of action that you will take, but wait for my approval. 4. Analyze the situation, describe your proposed plan of action, and follow through unless I say no. 5. Take action, and tell me what you did. 6. Take care of the situation. No need to report back to me.

In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rented car.

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

Professor C. Northcote Parkinson has pointed out in one of his delightful satires that the quickest way to get rid of an inconvenient superior is to make a world traveler out of him. The jet plane is indeed overrated as a management tool. A great many trips have to be made; but a junior can make most of them. -- Peter Drucker, The Effective Executive

There are three ways to get things done: Do it yourself, hire someone, or absolutely forbid your kids to do it. -- e. e. cummings