Picture this.
You’re the CEO of a foodservice distribution company. So far, your clients are independent restaurants. At your weekly sales meeting, a top salesperson mentions a fast food chain is looking for a new distributor.
You could tell her, “I’ve got this.”
Or, you could say, “You’ve got this.”
In my experience, most leaders take on the work themselves. I want to show my team I’ve got their back. I’m pitching in. I’m leading by example.
Their intentions are good. But the “I’ve got this” habit is bad. It’s thwarting the company’s growth – and the CEO’s personal leadership evolution.
It’s time to learn the delegation habit.
I share how to delegate in 4 steps covered in my next blog. But first, reframe how you think about delegation. Then, see 5 excuses that could thwart your best attempts at delegation and how to overcome them.
Why the Delegation Habit is a Leadership Skill
John Maxwell’s “Law of the Lid” captures why it’s critical to view delegation as a leadership skill:
“Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness.”
You can only be as effective in growing your company as your leadership skills allow.
Back to the foodservice CEO, if he lets his salesperson handle the lead, he will gain the following effective outcomes:
- With the CEO’s trust and confidence, the salesperson would be motivated to perform
- The entire team saw the CEO’s response: they’ll also be highly motivated to earn his confidence
- Ultimately, the CEO is growing his team’s performance – which benefits his company’s growth
So why aren’t more leaders embracing delegation? Here’s why…
Delegation FEELS Wrong
All of our lives we’re programmed to produce individual results through hard work.
In school, we take tests, alone. If we attend college, we achieve degrees, alone. In the work world? Certifications, credentials, and awards: Those are ours to earn, alone.
Yet, delegation asks us to hand off the work – and the results – to someone else.
It feels unnatural, like you’re cheating. Or, taking the easy way out.
Acknowledging “delegation discomfort” is an important first step to breaking the “I’ve got this” habit.
The next step is getting to the bottom of exactly why you’re not delegating.
The 5 Excuses and How to Overcome Them
Before we dive into the 5 excuses I always hear, I’ll share the excuse no one wants to admit.
“I Don’t Know How to Delegate”
Delegation is a skill. But because everyone assumes that it’s simple to hand off work, no one spends time learning how to do it right. That’s where a proven delegation process comes in. I share that 4-step process in my next blog.
Let’s first look at the most common delegation excuses and how to fix them.
Excuse #1) “I Don’t Have Time to Delegate.”
I hear this one a lot. Many leaders avoid delegation because yes, it does take time to outline a task and review it with your employee (or a contractor, more on that in Excuse #3).
But it takes less time than handling the work yourself.
You know that logically. Yet, you won’t delegate. That’s because it’s not the time that bothers you, it’s the interruption.
The Fix: Schedule a Block of Delegation Meetings
Minimize the disruption by scheduling back-to-back 15-minute meetings with those you want to delegate a task to. Then, use the 4-step process for effective delegation covered in the next blog.
Excuse #2) “I Can Perform That Skill Faster, Stronger, Better”
If this is your delegation excuse, the bright side is that you’re confident in your abilities. The down side? You’ll never know if you’re the best person to perform a task. Maybe someone on your team can work just as fast – or faster. Delegation gives them a chance to shine.
HIDDEN EXCUSE ALERT: Are you afraid that an employee will shine too brightly?
The Fix: Remember…You are a Leader, That’s the Skill
Leadership is a skill in itself. Your goal is to be the best leader for your company – not to be the best at performing XYZ skill.
Excuse #3) “I Don’t HAVE Anyone Else to Do It.”
This excuse ties in with the previous 2 excuses. Perhaps you are the only one who knows that business intelligence software. You don’t have time to teach your employee. Or, deep down you wonder if he can handle it.
The Fix: Outsource or Insource – You Decide
At this point, you have 2 options:
Option 1) Task an employee to learn the software. Set up the delegation meeting in your calendar and dive in. Remember: time spent delegating now is time saved in the future.
Option 2) Outsource! Bring in a contractor trained in that business intelligence software – don’t be afraid of remote workers, either. In fact, you might learn new ways to use the software. Outsourcing gives you a chance to build your knowledge base.
Excuse #4) “This is How I Became Successful. Why Would I Stop Doing It?”
What you’re really say is: “my work is my identity.” Delegation is therefore viewed as a threat to who you are. No wonder you’re reticent to hand off work.
You may also be afraid that by delegating, you’ll be faced with the task of mastering new skills. Who’s to say you’ll be successful? There is risk in delegation, that’s a fact. Acknowledge the fear, then dive in.
The Fix: Focus on Effectiveness Not Success
Back to the Law of the Lid: “Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness.” Your goal is to be more effective. Success is just the byproduct.
Ask yourself: how can I be more effective at running my company?
The answer is what you should work on next. Make time for this critical work by delegating.
Excuse #5) “I Enjoy Doing It! It Makes Me Happy.”
Maybe you own a successful software company and coding all afternoon is a treat. But if you enjoy doing something, it may be a sign to delegate. Here’s why:
Software coding changes constantly like most tech skills. As a leader, you don’t have time to learn every new advancement. If you did, you probably wouldn’t say you “coding makes me feel happy” – you’d feel challenged, maybe fulfilled, but not “happy.” Coding sounds like leisure in this case…
Your software engineering team has time to learn the latest coding practices. That’s their job. Delegate it to them. Your job is to lead.
The Fix: Learn to Find Fulfillment in Leadership
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
What I love about this quote is that by doing what Emerson recommends, you’ll feel happy. You just take a different route to get there.
Delegation is a way to be useful, honorable, and compassionate – not only to your team, but to yourself.
It’s a chance to grow as a leader. By delegating, you’ll make a difference in your life, the lives of your employees, and take your company to the next level. To find out more contact Rom LaPointe
Rom LaPointe, Founder of Capricorn Leadership and Certified EM Advisor
After being the CEO for 25 years on multiple leadership teams, he now serves as a facilitator and advisor for leadership teams of over 50 companies ranging in size from $5M to $5B. Every leadership session is a piece of music, some faster, some slower, but always hitting the right notes.