Delegating must be one of the toughest leadership/management challenges, considering that almost everyone seems to struggle with it. Delegation affects people development, business growth, team motivation and success of the organization. Here’s a summary of what I’ve learnt about delegation…

Why we don’t delegate:

• Insecurity – if they do it well I won’t be needed
• Status – it’s ‘my’ job
• Fear – what if they do it well; what if they can’t do it well
• Love – it’s my favorite task

Why we must delegate:

• To be a leader/manager, instead of a doer
• To develop people – build trust, improve their self esteem, opportunity to reward/recognize others
• To manage our time better; get more done in less time; focus on our own strengths
• To build happy, motivated and successful teams

How to delegate effectively:

• What – pick the tasks to delegate (considering the reason to delegate)
• Who – find the best person to delegate to
• How and when – communicate and establish clear objectives, expectations and deadline
• Track – monitor progress and offer support if required; be patient
• Recognize – give credit

And finally, some quotes to inspire you to delegate more and better:

Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.

When you delegate work to a member of the team, your job is to clearly frame success and describe the objectives.

The really expert riders of horses let the horse know immediately who is in control, but then guide the horse with loose reins and seldom use the spurs.

When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create leaders.

If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

A star wants to see himself rise to the top. A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top.

And a final word: You can do anything, but not everything.