The one about delegation

Since beginning my coaching practice, I'm sure I've had hundreds of conversations with leaders about delegation. It's in the top five topics for sure. What is it about this practice -- which all leaders know they must embrace to succeed -- that bedevils so many of us?

Note that I said "us," because I've spent the past few months re-learning how to delegate as my business expands. Turns out I'm not a one-man band anymore, and that's a good thing.

Perhaps one or more of these will sound familiar?

"I don't want to be too dependent on other people."
"My team is understaffed / overloaded, so I want to pitch in and help."
"It's easier / faster / less frustrating / more effective if I just do it myself."

Yes. I see you and I hear you. And even if all of these are things that ring true for you, you need to delegate anyway. It is the only way to free yourself from the never-ending cycle of doing rather than leading. It is also the only way to grow the folks coming up behind you into the leaders of tomorrow.

If your company pays you $100 an hour to lead a team, craft a strategy or deliver on a vision, you shouldn't be doing admin work that belongs to someone making $50 an hour. It doesn't mean you're too good for the task. It means you're supposed to do what only you can do, and to make room for that other person to get great at what they do. 

Here are a couple of my favorite resources related to delegation:

• Multipliers, by Liz Wiseman. Take the quiz, then read the book to find out where you might be struggling.

• The Eisenhower Matrix. This is a great way to sort out what you could be delegating more.

Image: Kellie Walenciak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons