‘By the time I’ve explained what needs to be done to someone else, I could have already finished the task…so I might as well do it myself’  and/or ‘If you want something done properly it’s better to do it yourself’ Ever caught yourself muttering these words when deliberating whether to delegate something to one of your team members?

In this article, we will examine the reasons why leaders often fail to delegate or do so reluctantly, how to delegate effectively, the benefits of delegation, and how to let go.

REASONS LEADERS DO NOT DELEGATE

As a Business Coach, I cannot think of any leaders that I coach who have not raised delegation as a challenge. Some need help with the art of delegation, others need help to let go, and some must be more assertive, recognising that their team members often have more capacity than they realise.

Leaders struggle with delegation for several interconnected psychological, practical, and organisational reasons:

Control and Perfectionism drive many leaders to hold onto tasks they could easily hand off. They worry that others will not execute work to their standards or that quality will suffer without their direct involvement. This perfectionist mindset creates a bottleneck where leaders become convinced that they are the only ones who can do certain tasks “right.”

Trust Issues play a major role, particularly for leaders who have had poor delegation experiences in the past. They may doubt their team’s capabilities, worry about missed deadlines, or fear that delegating critical tasks puts important outcomes at risk. Some leaders also struggle with the vulnerability that comes with depending on others for results.

Time Pressure Paradox creates another barrier. While delegation saves time in the long run, it requires an upfront investment to properly brief team members, establish clear expectations, and create effective accountability systems. When leaders feel overwhelmed, they often choose the faster option of doing work themselves rather than taking time to delegate effectively.

Identity and Ego Concernscan make delegation feel threatening. Leaders who built their careers on being the go-to problem solver may worry that delegating makes them appear less valuable or indispensable. There is also the fear of being outshone by team members who might excel at delegated tasks.

Skill Gapsrepresent a practical challenge. Many leaders were promoted based on technical expertise rather than leadership abilities, so they may lack the communication skills, systems thinking, or emotional intelligence needed to delegate successfully. They might not know how to break down complex work, set clear expectations, or provide appropriate oversight without micromanaging.

Organisational culturesometimes punishes delegation by holding leaders personally accountable for all team outcomes while providing little support for developing others. In cultures that reward individual heroics over team development, delegation can be perceived as a risk to career advancement.

Understanding these barriers helps leaders recognise their delegation blind spots and develop more intentional approaches to building this critical leadership capability.

HOW TO DELEGATE WELL

Delegation is not something you are born with, but it is an area in which you can become skilled. As a leader, you need first to recognise the need for and the importance of delegating. Then you need to want it, be intentional and committed.

What are the steps to delegating effectively?

Let us first start with three key phases of delegation:

Expectation

• Do both parties know what is expected to be achieved? Ensure clear communication occurs from the outset to prevent misunderstandings or misinterpretations later.
• Who has the authority/responsibility? It is essential to outline and clarify where each person’s authority and decision-making responsibilities begin and end. As a leader, you have the discretion to delegate specific authority if you choose to.

Evaluation

• Commitment to evaluate progress against expectations. Before the person commences with the delegated task or project, establish review times or progress updates and ensure they are diarised and honoured.
• Accountability: who? Be clear about the areas of accountability you are delegating and ensure they understand what they are accountable for. Be sure to ‘test for understanding’.

Consequence

Explain the desired outcome and intended positive impact of the task or project, and the consequences of it not being achieved. In some instances, if a project is not completed on time, it may have a ripple effect that can result in significant financial costs. In other cases, delays will prevent people from completing other actions. If you clearly explain the potential  (unintended) consequences, your team member will more likely be more committed to doing well and meeting agreed deadlines.

It is beneficial to schedule time for an evaluative discussion after completing a project.

Where a person has delivered a competent result, affirm and recognise them. Where they have fallen short, provide feedback and clarify expectations for future reference. Further training may be required in certain circumstances.

I have always found that following a very practical process helps me understand when delegating something. It comes in the form of an acronym – ‘IDEALS’:

I – Introduce the task.

D – Demonstrate clearly what needs to be done

E– Ensure understanding

A – Allocate authority, information & resources

L – Let go

S– Support

If you follow this process and allow time for questions, you cannot go wrong.

BENEFITS OF DELEGATING

Effective delegation creates a powerful win-win dynamic that transforms both leadership effectiveness and team development.

Benefits for Leaders

Strategic focus and capacity represent the most immediate advantages. When leaders delegate operational tasks effectively, they free up mental bandwidth and time for high-level strategic thinking, relationship building, and innovation. Instead of being buried in day-to-day execution, they can focus on activities that truly require their unique expertise and authority.

Scalability and sustainabilitybecome possible when leaders are not bottlenecks in every decision or task. Well-executed delegation allows organisations to grow beyond what any single leader could personally manage, creating systems that function effectively even when the leader is unavailable or focused elsewhere.

Enhanced leadership reputation manifests as leaders demonstrate their ability to develop others and achieve results through their teams. This positions them for greater responsibilities and career advancement, as senior leadership values managers who can multiply their impact through others rather than just personal productivity.

Reduced stress and better work-life integrationnaturally follow when leaders are not carrying the weight of every task on their shoulders. Delegation done right creates breathing room and helps prevent the burnout that comes from trying to do everything personally.

Benefits for Staff Members

Skill development and career growth accelerate dramatically when team members receive meaningful delegated responsibilities. They gain exposure to new challenges, develop technical and leadership capabilities, and build the experience needed for advancement. This creates a natural pipeline for future organisational leaders.

Increased engagement and motivation stem from the trust and autonomy that come with delegation. When leaders delegate substantive work rather than just busy tasks, team members feel valued and see clear connections between their contributions and organisational success.

Enhanced job satisfaction and ownership develop as staff members gain more control over their work and see the direct impact of their efforts. Delegation transforms passive task followers into active analytical people who take pride in their expanded responsibilities.

Professional visibility and recognition increase when team members manage delegated projects that put them in contact with senior leaders, clients, or other departments. This exposure often leads to new opportunities and career connections they would not have gained otherwise.

Organisational Benefits

The ripple effects extend beyond individual gains. Organisations with strong delegation cultures develop deeper bench strength, faster decision-making capabilities, and more resilient operations that do not depend on any single person. They also tend to have higher retention rates as employees see clear paths for growth and development.

The key insight is that delegation is not about getting tasks done – it is about creating sustainable systems that develop people while achieving better business outcomes.

LETTING GO

I have heard people say that delegating is the art of survival. That may be true, however, I think it’s better than that…it’s freeing oneself to have more time to spend working ‘on’ the business and adopting a posture of leader as a coach……after all, if you’re a leader of people, a primary responsibility is to coach your people!

So, how do you do that? A simple tool that I have given to countless leaders I have coached is what I call the Position Audit (email me if you would like a copy of the Position Audit – peter@businesscoachsydney.com).

Completing this audit facilitates the following:

1. Reconfirms the purpose of your position.
2. Identifies your primary responsibilities (no more than four to six).
3. Identifies all the areas of responsibility you have assumed over time.
4. Identifies the areas that only you can do.
5. Identifies the tasks you can delegate and the people to whom you can give them.
6. Identifies redundant areas, i.e. if you stopped doing them, no one would notice or care.

Now, set a time to take action on the above. Make an aspirational commitment of the time you want to spend working ‘on’ versus ‘in’ the business (start small 90% in and 10% on). Review this ratio in six months and ideally move from 90:10 to 80:20.