You’ll almost never hear the word “leadership” without hearing the word “delegate” close behind. You can be a leader without delegating (technically) but you can't be a successful leader without successful delegation.
So why do so many fail to delegate?
Sometimes, people cling to tasks they shouldn't be doing because they fear becoming irrelevant and having no work to replace what they’ve relinquished. Others keep holding on out of guilt, mistakenly viewing delegation as lazily dumping one’s responsibilities onto others.
But delegation is not just giving someone tasks to do; it involves transferring authority and responsibility to them while still being accountable for the outcome and success of the task.
Why Delegating is Important
Delegation Gives You Time and Energy to Do More Important Tasks
When you delegate things that you don’t need to do personally, you free up time for more valuable work. Projects that require your specific expertise and energy. A strong delegation framework empowers your team, reduces friction, and enables you to be more strategic.
Think about it this way: if your Sales Director earns $150,000 a year, that comes to about $72 an hour. Would you rather spend that $72 an hour on strategic sales initiatives or manually routing leads?
Delegation Empowers Your Team
Ownership = investment. Your team should feel like they own their work and actively participate in driving it forward.
Effective delegation of authority helps develop your team both interpersonally and professionally. They feel valuable to the organization and are more likely to "buy in" to your goals. It encourages job satisfaction through a sense of shared responsibility and breaks the monotony of a subordinate’s usual tasks and routine.
You hire staff for their unique skills and expertise. Let them use it. Leverage their skills to the fullest.
Delegating Encourages Creativity and Innovation
Delegating fosters an “inclusive” culture where your team considers diverse approaches to solving problems or issues. Your team has the opportunity to actively drive work forward, while you benefit from these different perspectives.
This setup makes it easier for people to come up with more creative or unique ways to tackle the project at hand. You could uncover efficiencies, identify growth opportunities for the team, and improve overall morale.
Solutions are better when they aren't created in a vacuum.
Delegation Is Crucial for Your Own Improvement
As a leader or manager, others watch how you accomplish tasks. Your skill in working strategically and allocating time for planning and enhancing organizational systems demonstrates your capacity to lead and delegate.
With enough time and energy on your hands, you can spend more time developing your sales and leadership skills.
Delegation Is Important for Leadership Succession
When you delegate, you let others step in and develop skills that benefit the organization. Delegating can also help train someone in your company to handle tasks beyond their usual responsibilities, creating fantastic growth opportunities.
When the time comes that you are promoted or leave the company, you are sure that other people know how to do the tasks because you have delegated them to them a number of times.
Delegation Strengthens the Organization
Delegating certain tasks to your subordinates helps foster a sense of commitment within your organization. When employees accept authority and accountability during delegation, they develop a stronger sense of shared responsibility and greater dedication to the organization’s success.
What tasks can you start delegating today?