Home » 39: How to Be An Awesome Delegator – Part 1

39: How to Be An Awesome Delegator – Part 1

Are you a great delegator, or do you tend to run the whole race yourself?

This podcast is based on my book “Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make,” specifically Chapter 6: Dirty Delegation, Refusing to Relax and Let Go.”

The important concepts to take from this chapter:

Overmanaging is one of the great cardinal sins of poor leadership.
Nothing frustrates those who work for you more than sloppy delegation with too many strings attached.
Delegation should match each worker?s follow-through ability.

A perfect example of “Dirty Delegation” comes from my own career. I asked my Communications Director Ted to put together a print ad campaign for our ministry. At the same time I met with a brand consultant, who said that print ads were their specialty. After Ted and his team did weeks of research and work developing a campaign, I had to tell him that we were going with the concept of the consultant. I never bothered to tell him he was competing, I just gave him the project, then took it right back from him. You can only imagine how Ted felt.

?I?d rather get ten men to do the job than to do the job of ten men.? ?D. L. Moody

Why Leaders
Don?t Delegate

These are the top 7 reasons why leaders don’t delegate, which I explain in detail in the episode:

Fear of losing authority
Fear of work being done poorly
Fear of work being done better
Unwillingness to take the necessary time
Fear of depending on others
Lack of leadership training and positive delegation experience
Fear of losing value in the organization

Every leader has at least some of these hang ups. Growing and learning how to get past them is essential for improving your delegation, which is a key to growing as a leader.

?The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.? ?Theodore Roosevelt

Sign on Reagan's Desk — Sign on Ronald Reagan’s desk in the Oval Office, who was as much the Great Delegator as he was the Great Communicator

I have so much on delegation that I am going to make this part 1 of 2. Please send me your delegation comments and questions, as I am working on an episode that includes answers to your questions. I always enjoy getting your feedback and interacting with listeners and readers!