I was assigned to a large development project that was already underway when I took it over. By “large,” I mean more than sixty engineers, testers, quality assurance, and deployment staff, with over half the team located in another state.
Needless to say, I was overwhelmed trying to manage it all.
Then I remembered how Moses set the standard for delegation in the Book of Exodus.
Moses also became overwhelmed trying to lead the people in the desert. His father-in-law advised him to appoint capable leaders over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. These leaders handled routine issues and escalated more difficult matters up the chain when additional guidance was needed.
Modern military structures follow a similar pattern. A platoon (30–50 soldiers) is typically the smallest unit led by an officer. Three to four platoons form a company (100–250 soldiers), and three to five companies form a battalion (300–1,000 soldiers).
Modern management theory reaches a similar conclusion: the ideal team size for a single manager is generally seven to ten direct reports. The exact number, however, depends on the nature of the work and the manager’s responsibilities.
1. Hands-On / Player-Coach Teams (3–5 Reports)
Best for: New managers, highly technical teams, or environments where managers still contribute heavily as individual contributors.
Pros:
- Allows close mentoring and coaching
- Makes it easier to remove blockers quickly
- Enables the manager to remain technically involved
Cons:
- The manager can become a single point of failure
- Increased risk of micromanagement
2. Standard / Collaborative Teams (6–10 Reports)
Best for: Most corporate, administrative, and project-based teams.
Pros:
- Supports meaningful feedback and career development
- Encourages team cohesion and collaboration
- Balances oversight without overwhelming the manager
Cons:
- Requires disciplined time management and prioritization
3. Delegated / Operations Teams (11–15+ Reports)
Best for: Shift-based, sales-oriented, or highly mature and autonomous teams.
Pros:
- Cost-effective
- Encourages employee independence and self-sufficiency
Cons:
- The manager becomes more of a coordinator than a coach
- One-on-one interactions often become infrequent or are replaced by team meetings
A Practical Rule of Thumb
If your span of control consistently exceeds fifteen people, it is usually a sign that you should either:
- Add senior team leads to oversee sub-groups, or
- Split the organization into smaller teams.
I cannot say that all my management challenges instantly disappeared, but things became far more manageable once I focused my attention on a handful of supervisors and functional leads instead of trying to personally address the needs of more than sixty individual team members.
You can read the Moses story in Exodus 18:15–23.
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