Delegation: One of the Hardest Leadership Skills to Master

A client I’m currently working with admitted, “If you want it done well, do it yourself.” It’s a mindset many leaders share—and it makes sense. When you’ve built your career on delivering results, it can feel risky to hand important tasks over to someone else.

But here’s the problem: that approach is completely counterproductive. No one person can do everything.

Delegation isn’t about tossing work “over the fence” and hoping it gets done. And it’s not about micromanaging every detail so your team never gets the chance to learn and grow. It’s about finding the middle space:

·        Being crystal clear about how work is transferred.

·        Staying accountable for the outcome, even if someone else does the work.

·        Allowing space for your team members to stretch, learn, and take ownership.

Leaders often discover that when they delegate with clarity and intention, they not only free up their own time, but also build stronger, more capable teams.

I’d love to know: What kinds of tasks do you find hardest to delegate?