Leaders who entrust team members with significant new responsibilities, the authority to make decisions, and the autonomy to complete projects without seeking approval when those colleagues are not quite ready for the challenge can be said to have engaged in courageous delegation.
Now, it is rare for anyone on a team to be perfectly ready to take on and own new actions and responsibilities, so the truth is that nearly all delegation is courageous.
The benefits of courageous delegation are almost too numerous to list. Delegation fosters risk-taking, personal growth, increased engagement, enhanced productivity, elevated job satisfaction, increased creativity, and innovation, just to name a few. But those advantages are not why leaders should delegate more of what they do.
The real reason to delegate courageously is so leaders can do what they are most passionate about. And that which adds the most value to the team.
Leaders can’t do everything, even if they are the most skilled and can complete tasks faster and better than anyone else. Their time is finite. If they aren’t delegating, then things that should receive maximum attention don’t.
Too many leaders can’t do the math. They are far too concerned with the discomfort of relinquishing control and accepting the inevitable mistakes that come with inexperience. For them, the downside of courageous delegation outweighs the benefits, even though they suspect that some important issues aren’t being addressed.
Leaders need to remember that by delegating to others, they get to focus on what they love to do. Yes, this requires an investment of time in the short term to teach and coach others to success, and it also means tolerating mistakes and errors. But, in the end, the short-term pain is worth it for the long-term gain.
Organizations don’t grow without leaders who are courageous delegators. The best leaders push down everything they can to other team members to free up their time so they can focus on what matters most. As team members develop new skills and become more committed and engaged, courageous delegators can be proud of giving up control. Best of all, they are making people better.
Do you delegate courageously?
