What is capacity? It's the margin and space we have for taking on new things.
All of us have things on our plate right now—no matter what stage of life you're in or what your pursuits, we all have things taking up space in our lives. When we reach capacity, it means we don't have any more room to add new things.
The main challenge is that we are not aware of our capacities. Your people have capacity; you have capacity. Your leaders have capacity. And sometimes, when we go over our capacity, we come to a place in our life where we start feeling what we call stress. Some people call it "stretched."
It doesn't matter what word you give to it. Here's the word that makes better sense to me: "overwhelmed." Overwhelmed means I have to do more, go more, be more, but I don't have the capacity to go to where I need to go.
So you have to analyze your capacity issues; you have to analyze not only, "Can we do this?" but "How stressed—how overwhelming—will it be?" I work with organizations on culture issues, whether they are corporate or ministry organizations. I can tell you that what leaders don't understand is that their staff—their volunteers, their department leaders—all have capacity.
It's not that they are bad people; not that they're incompetent people; not that they can't do the job; it's not that they don't have the know-how; it's not that they don't want to do it; it's not that they are not loyal to you; it's not that they're not working hard. They are like you. They are like everybody else. You can only stretch them so far.
You have a limit; so does your staff. Keep these limits in mind as you assign, plan and prioritize for your organization. Where's your line? Make sure you're not overwhelming yourself or those around you. 
Sam Chand is a former pastor, college president and chancellor and now serves as president emeritus of Beulah Heights University. As a dream releaser, he serves pastors, ministries, governmental and social organizations and businesses as a leadership architect and change strategist. Sam speaks regularly at leadership conferences, churches, corporations, seminars and other leadership development opportunities.
For the original article, visit samchand.com.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
