Delegating To Elevate: Why Leaders Should Strategically Delegate

As an entrepreneur, one of the hardest yet most necessary skills to learn is delegation. There are only so many tasks you can take on yourself before you get overwhelmed and risk burning out. I learned this lesson early on when trying to run every aspect of my business—from sales to marketing to operations and more. I was playing all positions on the field, which wasn’t sustainable.

That’s why delegating became so critical. As an EOS implementer, I knew the value of strengthening all parts of my business, but I simply didn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to handle it all effectively on my own. By building a team and delegating key tasks, I could focus on my core strengths while elevating overall results.

Some of the first major task areas I chose to delegate (after hiring my assistant Jen, of course!) include marketing, bookkeeping and accounting, financial planning, and taxes. I brought on both an agency and an assistant to lift those burdens off my shoulders.

Why Delegation is So Valuable

Delegation allows leaders to leverage skills, consistency, and accountability from their team to free up their own time. This means greater focus on where you can add the most value into your business, rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day. Some of the key reasons why delegation became so valuable include:

• Expertise – Team members have skills and dedicate time to specific functions that leadership lacks on their own. Leverage these!
• Consistency – With delegated tasks, important activities happen regularly without relying solely on leadership.
• Accountability – The team is accountable for hitting key performance indicators we established together.
• Objectivity – They provide outside perspectives to keep strategies fresh.
• Focus – Leadership can devote more attention and energy to vision and leadership rather than getting stuck in the day-to-day.
• Freedom – Leaders – and everyone on your team, really – gain time and mental space back to focus on what they do best rather than stretching themselves too thin.

Tips for Delegating Successfully

If you’re struggling to let go of certain business tasks, you’re not alone. However, once the right people are in the right seats within your team, you can easily communicate the vision while empowering others with the ability to make decisions on their own. Here are some tips on how to help some more hesitant leaders let go of the vines:

Document processes

Spend time reviewing and updating, if necessary, your business’s key processes. When it comes to more specific processes, identify who, what, where, when, and how. This clarity allows for smoother transitions and less frustration in managing expectations.

Hire slowly and fire quickly

The easiest way to quickly determine if someone is a right fit for the seat? The People Analyzer. This tool helps make tough decisions based on whether or not someone on your team fits your core values. Remember – if it’s not a, “heck yes!” its a “no.” Ensuring you have the right people is key to successful delegation.

Focus on broader vision and goals

Communicate context and priorities rather than micromanaging how details get executed. By explaining the vision and strategy but allowing autonomy when it comes to the smaller details, you’ll move the business forward much faster.

Schedule recurring meetings

Consistency and cadence matter – that’s why EOS has the 5-5-5 meetings. These standing meetings allow you to check on your team, their roles, and alignment with the company’s core values and review progress on rocks, as well as follow up on delegated tasks.

Show appreciation

Recognize accomplishments and strengths frequently. Understand every team member brings something different to elevate the whole. By showing that you believe in their abilities to handle the delegated tasks, it motivates the team and reassures them that leadership has confidence in them.

Scorecards

Each team member should have a weekly metric that they are accountable for hitting. Each metric is tied to the core process they are working to achieve, tying it all together for your business. It allows your team to see proactively if you’re getting off track.

At the end of the day, delegation comes down to trust and communication. Surround yourself with talented, driven people and make sure vision/values align. Establish clear metrics for success. Then get out of the way and watch your whole organization elevate!

Know someone who struggles with delegation? Contact me today!