The three reasons we fail to delegate
"The ability to delegate is the power to build a future bigger than yourself." Leadership Freak Blog
Yes, I'm guilty too. Guilty of not delegating when I should. It doesn't make me (or you) a bad person - just a less effective leader. Delegation is not just a word, it's a requirement of leadership. Our roles as leaders require us to see beyond the task of the moment, to grow our people, and to dedicate time and space to think strategically. Here are the three reasons leaders fail to delegate:
Guilt
Fear
Laziness
Guilt. I too feel guilty when I dump a load of tasks on my people. I often think - "what's my share of the mission?" "Shouldn't I pick up shovel or crank out a memo?" Guilt is a natural thing but we should look at guilt from the perspective of ineffective leadership. 'Doing it all' marginalizes people below us. What do we have them for? Recall when you were a subordinate. Did you really want your boss doing tasks you were meant to do? When I delegate, I know I'm giving my people more than they can handle. I always establish priorities to guide them through their mountain of tasks.
Fear. We fail to delegate because we know exactly how we want something done and we may not have the full confidence in a person to do as we would. Trust lies at the core of this. If we do not have trust in our people, we tend to micromanage them. We are terrified of failure and this prevents us from delegating. Failure is imminent but it is also where real growth occurs. Leaders have to assess risk. "If I hand this task to Larry, and he fails, does the ship sink?" If the answer is no, delegate. This doesn't mean leave Larry totally unprepared but remember, nobody told you how to do things.
Laziness. We move at the speed of light these days so we believe (falsely most of the time) that it is easier if we 'just do it ourselves.' Taking time to explain your intent (see intent based instructions here) is not easy when the pressure is on and the clock is ticking but it is our duty as leaders. Taking time to teach someone how something needs to be done is a leadership duty as well. Laziness will produce task-completing robots, not growing people and emerging leaders.
Indeed, there are times we must get our hands dirty, however, as leaders, our radar must be up. "Should I be doing this?" I had a boss who lived by the philosophy, 'do only those things that only I can do.' Of course he felt guilt and fear. He certainly wasn't lazy but he knew well the requirements of his position - those tasks only he could and should do and it guided his delegation and leadership.
Be aware of these three delegation pitfalls as you navigate your leadership journey. Grow your people. Create future leaders. Delegate.
Make it Personal!
Rob Campbell
Rob Campbell