I put myself through college working at a sporting goods store.  I was the department manager for ski equipment in the winter, and camping / hiking / climbing / biking equipment in the summer.  Transitions between seasons left the store in a shambles for a few days each spring and fall as we took down one season and put up another, and management was particularly interested in getting the transition made in as timely a fashion as possible.

One spring (having already stored the ski equipment) I was busy putting up tents, making climbing displays and generally putting things in order in my department, when the assistant manager came up behind me.

“Why are you doing all this yourself when you have employees who could be doing it?” he asked.

I replied, “Because if I do it myself, I know it’s done right, it’s done right the first time, and I can do it faster than anyone I know.  You want the mess taken care of, I’m taking care of it.”  I thought the answer was complete, correct, and I waited for him to get out of my way so I could get back to work.

But he persisted.

“I don’t disagree that you are the fastest — or even the best.  I’ve watched you work and you get as much done as any two people we’ve had doing this before.  Or maybe even three or four people.  But at the end of the day, that’s all you’ll ever be is three or four people.  And as good as that is, it’s well below your potential.”

Now, I had no idea where he was going.  If you could do the work of three or four people, they ought to be deeply grateful and give you a huge raise.  What more potential could there be?  Right?  Wrong.  He continued his teaching.  “If you would start to delegate this work to others, you could walk around, see what they’re doing, offer encouragement, direction, help, and you could get the work done of 20 people — or 30 or 100.”

Somehow, right then and there, the light in my head turned on and I could see how I could duplicate myself a hundred times.  I was still in my teens, wet behind the ears, and unschooled and inexperienced, but I got it and I got it completely.  Since that day, I’ve never looked back.

I’ve since learned that delegation isn’t a “fire and forget” tool.  It isn’t about just passing off the unpleasant tasks.  It’s about duplicating yourself and following up to ensure that everything is and was being done to your satisfaction.  It’s about building a team, and getting that team pulling on the same rope at the same time and in the same direction.  That team can pull infinitely harder than you could ever pull by yourself.

No matter how good you are, you’re only one person (or three or four as noted above.)  But if you’ll duplicate yourself — truly duplicate yourself — you’ll reach a level of success you never dreamed of.  Of that I’m certain.