Why Delegation is a Leadership Skill You Can’t Afford To Ignore

Let’s be 100% transparent. Doing everything yourself is not leadership, it is survival! Not only does it affect your team’s morale (whether you acknowledge it or not), it is also exhausting. One of the most powerful skills a leader must develop is the ability to recognize what you can do versus what you should let go of. Yes, it is scary and yes it requires a bit of risk assessment. Believe it or not, many tasks and assignments on your to-do list can go to your direct reports. This is where discernment, delegation, and trust come in.

Delegation Reduces Managerial Burnout

Mitigating burnout is number one from a leadership perspective. If you, the leader are burned out, what happens to your team? When you are overloaded you have no energy to lead your people or drive your mission. Delegation is not simply handing off tasks to get them off your plate. Delegation is about creating space for you to lead. When you delegate effectively, you free up time to focus on your high-level and high-value work such as setting direction, managing strategy, supporting your team and yes, even putting out fires.  

Delegation Fosters Employee Development.

Once you have identified the tasks you can delegate, assign them to team members based on their strengths. Being mindful about how you distribute responsibilities can lead to more effective outcomes, faster turnarounds, and less stress for you. It also becomes a potential developmental opportunity for your team members. Consider your teams’ strengths and developmental areas. Assignments you consider tasks may be valuable learning opportunities for your team.

Delegation Builds Trust

When you trust your team members with meaningful work, their skills stretch and grow. Remember, most team members want to do a good job. Trusting your team with tasks can increase engagement and motivation. Think about a time someone trusted you to do something. Did you take initiative and get it done? Did you try to do it well? How did you feel when you succeeded? Delegation tells your team, “ I believe in you.” Overtime, trust becomes the foundation for a high-performing, resilient team.

 So the next time you feel like you are drowning in tasks, pause and take a breath. Trust your team, delegate the work, and do what you do best, which is lead.