Stop Delegating and Start Developing
SUMMARY
Do you find it difficult to get other people in your team to share the workload? Is this thing called delegation something that eludes you? My experience is that this happens to a lot of people, and this week I want you to stick with me so that we can look at how to change that by shifting your thinking around it.
Hi this is Grant Herbert, leadership and sustainable performance coach, and today I want to continue our conversation about getting results by shifting from DO to THROUGH, by helping you to stop delegating and start developing.
Many people tell me they are so busy that they don’t have time to lead or focus on higher priorities. However, when we examine their workload, it often reveals they are overwhelmed because they’re holding onto everything, and that’s about keeping control. As a leader, you need to pass the baton. You need to empower others to take on tasks you once handled so that you can focus on leading. To do that, you need to shift your thinking.
As a leader, one of your key responsibilities is to prepare the next generation of leaders. It’s about building a team of individuals and helping them to increase their capabilities. This way, both individually and collectively, they can achieve what needs to be done in the role your team facilitates. When you evaluate what needs to be done and consider who else could do it, I want you to shift from thinking, “I’m giving this away so that I don’t need to do it,” to see it as an opportunity to develop the skills of your team.
So, you are no longer delegating; you are developing. You are using it as a training ground so others can step up and step in when needed, allowing you to finally put things down and have enough bandwidth to lead. I understand that this is not something that comes easily for everyone. I understand the psychology behind it, not only at an expert level but also on a personal level, because I used to struggle with the same thing. I used to think, “If they can do all the things I do, am I still needed? Am I still necessary?” These identity issues are something you will need to continue working on as part of your growth journey.
This is a work in progress. I’m still working on it myself. I’m just much further along than I used to be. As we finish this year, I hope to help you shift some of your thinking and behaviour so that when you move into next year, you’ll be able to lead differently.
We’ve got one week left together, and I want to make sure you have some practical steps you can take. Well, that’s it from me for another week. Join me next week as we continue this conversation about how you can achieve results by facilitating development so that tasks and projects are completed effectively. I’ll see you then.
TRANSCRIPT
Do you find it difficult to get other people in your team to share the workload? Is this thing called delegation something that eludes you? My experience is that this happens to a lot of people, and this week I want you to stick with me so that we can look at how to change that by shifting your thinking around it.
Hi this is Grant Herbert, leadership and sustainable performance coach, and today I want to continue our conversation about getting results by shifting from DO to THROUGH, by helping you to stop delegating and start developing.
Last week, we started a conversation on the last of our 9 Crucial Shifts, where we examined the fact that getting others to do what you need them to do—whether by delegating, sharing the load, or working as a team—is not always effective. In fact, it’s often counterintuitive because many people, myself included in previous years, tend to keep everything under their control even though they are busy. They fail to delegate tasks because of the mindsets and beliefs they hold. We started that conversation last week and talked about how it’s all built on trust.
Today, I want to give you some practical ways to shift that belief process.
Going from getting results through your own efforts alone to getting others to work with you to achieve results is one of the most stressful transitions leaders go through. This requires changing the way you operate. And to do that, you need to change what you allow to go on in your mind.
As I said last week, the biggest challenge is trust—trusting that others will represent you in a way that does not trigger the 3 Universal Fears: the fear of not belonging, not being enough, and not being loved. Even when you are busy, and logic suggests you should delegate tasks, this decision is filtered through internal dialogue, conditioning, and identity-based beliefs that say, “If I give this task to someone else, it means something negative about me.”
I’ve often said it’s not what happens to you that matters; it’s what you make it mean. When you interpret delegation as a risk to how others perceive you, it can lead to illogical decisions—such as holding onto every task, thinking, “I’m flat out busy, but I’ll just keep doing it myself.”
Many people tell me they are so busy that they don't have time to lead or focus on higher priorities. However, when we examine their workload, it often reveals they are overwhelmed because they're holding onto everything, and that’s about keeping control. As a leader, you need to pass the baton. You need to empower others to take on tasks you once handled so that you can focus on leading. To do that, you need to shift your thinking.
The thinking shift you need is around the concept of delegation. Delegation has been a buzzword for years, much like time management, productivity, or work-life balance. What you make delegation mean will determine whether or not you do it. For most people, delegation is a skill they avoid. You might know at a conscious level that it's important, but your beliefs about what it signifies hold you back. If you make delegation means giving away control or putting your acceptance and approval in someone else's hands, then that's a problem.
So, even though you are busy, you hold on to doing that and go: “It’s easier if I just do it myself.”
I know you're nodding your head right now because we've all done that, or you may still be doing it. Let me help you make a change right now. It's time to take the concept of delegation and throw it away. It's one of those outdated terms that no longer serves a purpose. It's not needed anymore—it has been superseded. The shift you need to make is to move from delegation to development.
As a leader, one of your key responsibilities is to prepare the next generation of leaders. It's about building a team of individuals and helping them to increase their capabilities. This way, both individually and collectively, they can achieve what needs to be done in the role your team facilitates. When you evaluate what needs to be done and consider who else could do it, I want you to shift from thinking, "I'm giving this away so that I don't need to do it,” to see it as an opportunity to develop the skills of your team.
So, you are no longer delegating; you are developing. You are using it as a training ground so others can step up and step in when needed, allowing you to finally put things down and have enough bandwidth to lead. I understand that this is not something that comes easily for everyone. I understand the psychology behind it, not only at an expert level but also on a personal level, because I used to struggle with the same thing. I used to think, "If they can do all the things I do, am I still needed? Am I still necessary?" These identity issues are something you will need to continue working on as part of your growth journey.
However, this particular area of delegation can be advanced by logically assessing your team and identifying where you can upskill them. Once you've done that, you can train them in the specific skills they need to perform those tasks. Shifting your mindset from delegation to development is the key to eliminating the roadblock of needing to maintain control and overcoming those three universal fears. Developing the skills of your team members will enable you to trust them and know that they can get the jobs done effectively.
This is a work in progress. I'm still working on it myself. I'm just much further along than I used to be. As we finish this year, I hope to help you shift some of your thinking and behaviour so that when you move into next year, you'll be able to lead differently.
We’ve got one week left together, and I want to make sure you have some practical steps you can take. Well, that’s it from me for another week. Join me next week as we continue this conversation about how you can achieve results by facilitating development so that tasks and projects are completed effectively. I’ll see you then.
