Delegation: Fueling Your Leadership
Written by Leighton Spinks
Leadership can feel like a one-person show, with the weight of your workload and organization’s expectations resting on your shoulders. While it's tempting to try and hold onto everything in order to ensure quality and completeness, this tends to lead to a vicious cycle of stress, wasted time, and burnout. For organizations, this can be costly. For you, it can be devastating.
In coaching, lack of delegation or hesitation to delegate is one of the core themes that we see holding leaders back from becoming more effective, impactful, and productive. In fact, Harvard Business Review stated in an article, “Too many of us are in a constant state of overextension, which fuels an instinctive reaction to “protect” work. This survival instinct ultimately dilutes our impact through an ongoing, limited effect on others.”
So how can leaders become better delegators? By knowing how to distribute the weight of their workload in ways that maximize productivity and increase the impact of the leader’s work day.
Delegation is similar to being the conductor of an orchestra. Each member has their own unique instrument, and the conductor has to trust that they will play their part to create a beautiful symphony. By delegating tasks and responsibilities, leaders can empower their team members to showcase their skills and contribute to the bigger picture. When delegation is done right, it frees up the leader to focus on the overall success of the team, and the results can be game-changing. Just as a symphony would never reach its crescendo without this balance, a team cannot reach its full potential without strong delegation skills from its leader.
If you’re just getting started delegating or feeling hesitant to hand off tasks to others, try these two tips to dip your toes in the water of delegation!
Identify Tasks for Delegation: The first step is to assess your workload and identify tasks that can be delegated. Focus on tasks that are time-consuming, repetitive, or within the skill sets of your team members. Look for opportunities where others can take ownership and contribute effectively. Make a list of these tasks along with the desired outcomes and any necessary instructions. Here’s an easy question to ask yourself: “What are things only I can do?” If there is a task you are currently handling but it isn’t something only you need to be doing, add it to your list of tasks to delegate.
Choose the Right Team Members: Once you've identified tasks, consider the strengths and expertise of your team members. Assign tasks to individuals whose skills align with the task requirements. This not only ensures that the task is completed efficiently but also gives team members a chance to excel in their areas of expertise. Communicate clearly about the task, its importance, and the expected outcomes. Offer support, answer questions, and provide any resources needed for successful completion. Don’t forget to give feedback after the task is completed.
This is just the tip of the effective leadership iceberg. Remember, effective delegation is about empowering your team, building trust, and fostering growth!