2023.03.28

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There is lots on your plate as a leader right now. Yes?

Is it that you can’t delegate more of it or won’t delegate more of it? Be honest.

Yes, I’m calling you out here.

I would be shocked if there weren’t at least two things on any given leader’s plate that don’t need to be there.

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The top two reasons clients give me for not delegating more are:

1. Lack of time to explain, set expectations, and manage the delegated work.
2. No one else has the expertise or capability to do the work.

And some of the time they are correct.

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Often the true reasons, the ones that underpin those stated reasons, are harder to admit.

For example, a leader may:

• be uncomfortable giving up control.
• fear the person’s failure will reflect poorly on the leader.
• fear the person’s success will overshadow the leader.
• like doing the task because it is familiar, concrete, and relatively easy for them to do (especially since leadership keeps taking them farther and farther into unfamiliar territory).
• be uncomfortable admitting they don’t really know how to delegate.

No judgement if you see yourself in that list.

If delegation were easy, there wouldn’t be a zillion articles online about it and I certainly wouldn’t be writing about it today.

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Delegation, like all leadership competencies, is a skill that can be acquired through practice.

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Let’s start with a tiny step and articulate your “why” and your biggest obstacle.

Fill in the blanks.

• If I could find a way to delegate more, the impact on me would be _________________________.

• I would be able to delegate more if _______________________.

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