18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.
19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.
Delegation begins with self-awareness and self-discipline. As long as we cling to the illusion that we can do it all, we will struggle with handing off responsibilities to other people.
Alma saw a need in the church which would require more of his time and energy. As he considered all of the demands on his time, he recognized that he could not meet this new set of demands while functioning effectively as chief judge. Something had to give. He concluded that preaching to the church was a higher priority than continuing to govern, and so he transferred his political office to a suitable successor.
Today, as I consider the many demands on my time and energy, I will follow the example of Alma the Younger:
1. Be realistic about what is needed. Don’t try to wish away the problems or underestimate the effort required to address them.
2. Understand and accept my own limitations.
3. Prioritize, so that I am able to devote my time to those areas where I uniquely add the most value.
4. Identify other people who can realistically meet the other demands and enlist their help.