Discover the core mindset shift needed to delegate with confidence.
Even the strongest leaders can’t carry it all alone.
In The Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee doesn’t take the Ring from Frodo but he offers something just as powerful: support, loyalty, and the simple words, “Let me help you. Share the load.”
Delegation isn’t about offloading responsibility, it’s about building trust, empowering others, and recognizing that leadership is a shared journey.
Why is it that so many leaders struggle to delegate? What’s really holding them back?
Let’s start by first defining what delegation means. Delegation is a process by which a leader or individual assigns responsibility and authority to another person to carry out specific tasks or decisions. It involves entrusting others with work that could be done by the leader, in order to increase efficiency, develop team members’ skills, and focus on higher-level priorities.
I recently read a job description for business owners created by a business consultant I highly respect. It included 4 big ideas – one of which drew my attention,
“The business owner must hire, train, and develop key team members. If the firm intends to grow, it needs to hire. Even if you are terrible at hiring and training, the only way to reinforce those values in your team and how you work together is to be involved in hiring and training key team members.”
I was drawn by this description as in its core it underscores this process of delegation. There are days where training and development encompasses a good 80% or more of my day, and this principle is not limited to business owners, but it is a big part of key management and senior roles across companies, industries, and organizations.
In order to successfully grow and build, you have to train others to do the work.
And here comes the caveat: Training involves delegating. As you train others, you pass on responsibilities, tasks, and priorities so they can see it through. You teach, coach, give feedback, redirect, clarify, and provide the needed resources for people to succeed in the tasks.
For some, delegating is tacitly understood as a way to share the load.
But for others, way too many, delegating means letting go, taking the risk that another will deliver with the quality and preferences you have honed in.
And this process can be a battle. I’ve listened to leaders across sectors share many misgivings about delegating, such as:
- Fear that the work won’t be done correctly
- Lack of time to train others effectively
- A culture that doesn’t encourage feedback
- Fear of failure in an unforgiving environment
- Discomfort with letting go and trusting others
When I’ve pressed further, the apprehension is fueled by negative experiences that have rooted them further.
Take the employee who pulled hours to get all needed for an impending deadline in presenting a pitch to senior leaders, and during the meeting, the other team members who didn’t contribute but who were articulate and verbal took the credit for the project at the last minute.
One experience like this is enough to deter you from swiftly jumping onboard the next time you are asked to work on a team-collaborative project, for example. It’s understandable to appreciate why repeated experiences where you feel you are betrayed, for example, can foster cynicism and skepticism.
Or what if your personality disposition is one that values quality and wants to ensure products or projects delivered are done with excellence? The standard of excellence can be so exceedingly high that there is no room for failure or mistakes. We all want quality products and thus excellence is a good thing of course. Yet, how do you balance the standards with room for growth and learning. When you train others, there is a learning curve, and they will do things differently.
Yes, delegating is a struggle.
What is the main reason leaders struggle to delegate?
LACK OF TRUST in others to do the job as well as they would.
Leaders also, often hesitate to delegate due to fears of losing control, concerns about quality, and the belief that doing it themselves is faster.
Research from Harvard Business Review and the Center for Creative Leadership highlights that many see delegation as a threat to their authority or efficiency.
Here are some mindsets that threaten delegating:
Time investment: Training others takes more time than doing the task alone.
Perfectionism: No one can meet their standards.
Insecurity: May expose their lack of expertise or threaten their value.
Cultural norms: In some workplaces, failure or asking for help is stigmatized.
Which of the reasons above do you resonate most with in not delegating?
Personally, my strength lies in thinking strategically about alternative options and plans, I have found that I benefit by collaborating and delegating. What makes me hesitate, is the time it takes to do so well. Explaining, coaching, and communicating effectively so that others can truly appreciate the project, takes time.
When I find myself hesitating to delegate, I pause and ask what am I giving up by not doing so?
It’s a disservice to simply dismiss the concerns that hold you back from delegating. Those concerns matter as you can create a plan to address them.
Often, that plan hinges on development. While it does take time to train others effectively, breaking down the process, offering encouragement, and providing timely feedback fosters growth. It also creates the space for those concerns to shrink as trust and competence grow.
How do you decide when to take care of something yourself and when to delegate?
