Mastering Delegation as an Impact Multiplier

Delegation - a Critical Leadership Tool

Delegation can unleash the power of your organization by harnessing talent at all levels. When leaders skillfully and intentionally assign work to others it empowers and engages them which leads to higher performance for the team and the organization. Delegation is a critical foundational component of a leader’s role and should evolve with the growth of the leader.

Why Leaders Hesitate

Some leaders find delegating easier to do than others. There may be several reasons for this. First, it requires giving up some control. They may have the belief that it is just easier to do things for themselves. Second, there may be a lack of trust that others can accomplish the work. This can be particularly true if the leader is a perfectionist. Third, there may be reluctance to be perceived as pushing responsibility onto other team members.

Benefits of Delegation

Without delegation, leaders limit their capacity to impact.  It limits the capacity of the team to increase their impact as well.  Additionally, the leader will soon find themselves overloaded and stressed, which further erodes performance and impact.

Conversely, look at the benefits of this crucial skill: 

• Creates space for the leader to increase their strategic thinking and actions

• Allows others to take on new responsibilities and grow in their role

• Taps into the diversity of the team

• Increases organizational productivity and impact

A leader who can find that right balance between doing certain work themselves and delegating to others will be more effective. A leader that masters this competency will see a multiplier effect in their impact.

 Intentional Delegation

Once the decision has been made to delegate, there are several approaches that can be utilized, depending on the objective and the people involved. Surbhi Mahnot has identified five delegation approaches to consider as leaders grow and master this competency. As the leader and the team members mature, the most successful leaders will strive to move down this list to optimize delegation and broaden their impact.

1.     Instructional

• Give direct and specific instructions

• Best used when team members are new and need tactical support

2.     Seek Suggestions

• Solicit advice from those to whom you will be delegating

• Best used when tasks can be used for team member growth opportunities and to gain deeper buy-in

3.     Decide Together

• Collaborate on solutions

• Best used when there is established trust in team members and desire to capitalize on diversity

4.     Generate Plan of Action Together

• Support your team from a high level only

• Best used when increasing capacity of team across multiple, competing projects

5.     Act Independently

• Relinquish control over details of project while maintaining clarity of purpose

• Best used when grooming a successor and/or it is a high-performing team 

Unleashing the Power of Delegation

Leaders that can master multiple uses of delegation will find that they are maximizing results for themselves and their teams. Highly successful leaders have the competence to recognize which delegation approach to employ based on the objective and the people involved. In this way, both the leader and the teams grow in their roles, ultimately expanding their impact to the organization.

Contact MBM ELEVATE when you are ready to explore practical techniques that focus on delegation for developing increased leadership agility for you and your team.

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Mary Beth Molloy

Certified Executive Coach and Business Consultant, she delivers uncanny focus on the intersection of your business vision and goals and the leaders you’ve entrusted to achieve them.

She knows what it takes to accelerate and elevate business results through leadership development and performance. It’s her powerful blend of these experiences together with her practicality, purpose, and positivity that drive our value.

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