Everyone knows delegation is good, but not everyone knows how to do it right. Or to put it another way, not everyone – if they’re truly being honest with themselves – wants to delegate. It’s particularly hard for entrepreneurs, who may have been working solo for some time, to now let go of the reins a little and let others take on key tasks.
But without effective delegation, a business will stagnate. Empowering others is the key to reducing bottlenecks and giving you the space you need to focus on strategy.
The numbers back this up. According to Gallup research, leaders who delegate effectively see a significant increase in company growth and revenue. According to their data, effective delegators had a growth rate 112 percentage points higher and generated 33% more revenue than those who were less effective. This approach has a positive ripple effect, leading to the creation of more job opportunities each year.
This article examines in more detail why many leaders struggle to delegate and what they can do about it.
Pushing against your instincts
The primary reason we find delegation so tricky is that it challenges several instincts. To start with, a leader often identifies strongly with their work – this is completely normal, given that in many cases they may have built it from the ground up. Because of this, they believe their way is the best way. This perfectionist approach can be helpful when building a reputation for quality, but in the longer term, it makes it tough to trust others to do the work you used to do yourself. You feel it will no longer be perfect.
Then there is fear. This is another common driver. Essentially, delegating means letting go of control so you start worrying about mistakes or wasted time. You may also fear damage to client relationships if you’re not doing everything. Coupled with this is the fear that your employees may do such a good job that you start to feel you don’t really have unique value, that you are becoming dispensable. These emotions need to be acknowledged to make it easier when handing things over.
Finally, there is the idea that delegation actually takes more time than it saves. It’s common for leaders to think that by the time they have explained something properly and checked that it has been carried out correctly, they could have just done it themselves. While that may well be true in the short term, it misses the overall point of long-term gains.
What happens if you don’t delegate effectively
What is so critical about delegation is that when it doesn’t happen, the negative effects can impact the whole organisation. When leaders are overwhelmed and exhausted from juggling urgent tasks and strategic priorities, they risk burnout. Meanwhile, their teams lose motivation and work below their potential as they wait for direction. From there, growth grinds to a halt, with the leader becoming the bottleneck preventing the organisation from moving faster.
There is also a cultural impact, because a lack of delegation also signals to everyone that there is a lack of trust. A talented person who feels constrained or micromanaged is not going to hang around long, so retention becomes an issue. Equally, those who do stay will become increasingly disengaged.
Find a solution – redefining what ‘delegation’ means
As a starting point, we need to change our perception of delegation. It’s common for many leaders to see it as a kind of ‘offloading’ of tasks. In other words, taking a burden from one person and putting it on another. But in reality, it’s more about distributing ownership. When it’s thought about in that way, it strengthens the team, who feel fully involved and empowered, while also freeing up the leader to do their own higher-value work. So, it’s not a one-way transfer but an investment from both parties, with the leader investing time in teaching and the team member investing in learning.
There are several keys to making delegation work:
- Ask yourself tough questions: The first step is to analyse why you are resisting delegating tasks, whether it’s due to trust, fear, or the feeling that your value will be diminished. Once you can put a name to the reason for your resistance, it’s much easier to address it. Think of it as managing your mindset with the same care you manage others.
- Decide what to delegate: Clearly, you can’t delegate everything. It’s important to keep the tasks that only you can do, keeping a close eye on those that need your expert oversight but can be done by someone else, and letting go of those where your involvement is not necessary or is minimal. This can change over time as you become more comfortable delegating higher-value responsibilities.
- Find a good match for tasks: Delegation works well when the task you are giving to someone aligns with their strengths and interests. So, think of how you position it in line with a person’s development goals, as this will boost motivation.
- Define what success looks like: Effective delegation needs the setting of clear expectations in terms of the outcome, the deadline, and how progress will be measured. Avoid the temptation to give a prescription for every step and focus instead on what overall success looks like. Allow the employee to figure out how to get there.
- Provide good resources: It’s not fair to delegate if you’re not giving someone what they need to succeed. So, make sure they have the necessary tools and information required, whether it’s introductions to stakeholders, access to budgets, or your permission to make choices without constant sign-off.
- Have clear points to check in: Agree upfront on exactly when you will review progress so everyone is on the same page. This might take the form of weekly updates or milestone reviews, or even just a quick daily touchpoint.
- Accept that mistakes will happen: The key is to treat mistakes like data and use them as learning or coaching moments. In short, you’re turning errors into an opportunity for growth.
- Make sure you give credit: It’s important to acknowledge the effort when a delegated task is done well. This helps motivate the employee while signalling to the rest of the team that this kind of responsibility is appreciated.
H2: Getting delegation right
You might not get delegation right the first time. But over time, and with practice, it is possible to do it well and see the benefits. Effective delegation frees leaders to focus on high-level tasks that only they can do, such as shaping strategy, driving innovation, and building company culture.
A structured approach to delegation also empowers your team, helping them grow in confidence and become more engaged. As we’ve seen, this has a direct and positive impact on growth and revenue – making it a win-win for everyone.
