As a leadership coach, one of the most frequent issues that comes up in my sessions is delegation. Every leader knows they should do it, yet many find it challenging to weave it effectively into their daily routines. Let’s explore why delegation is tough, and how you can master it to truly step into your role as a leader.
Understanding the Hurdles
Many leaders struggle with delegation for several profound reasons:
- From Doer to Leader: Most leaders start as doers—experts in tasks they now oversee. There’s comfort and satisfaction in excelling at these tasks, which makes stepping back to lead, rather than do, particularly challenging.
- Value and Work Product: Often, leaders feel their value is directly tied to the tangible outcomes they personally produce. The thought is: if they want something done right, they must do it themselves.
- Role Clarity: Handing off tasks can leave leaders feeling rudderless, unsure about what their role should be if they’re not involved in day-to-day operations.
- Staff Overload Concerns: There’s also the fear of overburdening their team, especially if they perceive them as already stretched thin.
The Bigger Picture: Why Not Delegating Holds You Back
Failing to delegate not only stymies your effectiveness but also hampers your team’s growth. It’s essential to shift from a doer to a true leader—someone who equips and empowers their team.
Transforming Your Leadership Approach
- Embrace Your Role: Understand that leadership is about being, not just doing. It’s your job to guide, mentor, and coach your team to success.
- Build Trust: Believe in your team’s capabilities. You hired them for a reason; now give them a chance to prove you right.
- Equip Your Team: Ensure they have the tools, knowledge, and resources to succeed. This might mean investing time in training rather than tackling tasks yourself.
- Set Clear Expectations and Step Back: Clearly communicate what you need and by when, then allow your team the space to deliver. This includes removing any obstacles that could impede their progress.
- Focus on Growth: Both yours and your team’s. Delegating frees you up to focus on strategy and growth, while your team learns and grows through new challenges.
Here’s how to get started:
Identify one task you’ve held onto out of comfort or fear of overburdening your team. Delegate it thoughtfully, setting clear expectations and providing necessary support. Watch as this act not only boosts your team’s confidence but also enhances your own leadership.
Use the Forte Four to help you with the delegation conversation. After identifying the individuals with the talents, skill, and knowledge that could help them effectively perform the task.
- Invite the team member to a meeting to discuss the opportunity
2. Share your desire to delegate the task highlighting their attributes and the reasons you feel this may be a good fit for them
3. Ask how they view the work, what their approach would be, and what challenges they anticipate
4. Collaborate on what they need from you, timeline, check ins, reporting, and the next steps to begin to prepare for transition