I am sure you have come across that manager who finds it hard to delegate. Delegation is not a luxury of seniority but the engine of scale. Teams that delegate well move faster, learn more and build leaders across different levels. Some managers treat it as something to do “when there’s time.” The irony is you only get time by delegating.
Why does delegating well matter?
First, delegation multiplies impact. When a leader hands over the responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks, the organization’s problem-solving capacity compounds. Second, it builds and grows talent. The opportunity to do more and be responsible for it builds capability across an organisation. Third, it improves decisions. Work pushed closest to the point of context leads to more informed decisions. Fourth, it enables the right focus. Leaders who delegate poorly are not doing their job, which is setting direction, shaping culture, allocating resources and removing roadblocks. Fifth, it is cost efficient to make sure the right pay grade takes the right decision. You wouldn’t want your expensive top leaders taking decisions that can and should be taken at lower levels.
Why does delegation not happen?
“Control anxiety” or the belief that “If I don’t do it, it won’t be right.” Part of this problem is because of the personality, part of it is because what’s “right” isn’t clearly articulated.
The manager’s identity lock-in. People who rose by being the best doer struggle to become the best enabler.
A sense of false efficiency, the belief that it is quicker to do it yourself. But the “one quick fix” repeated 50 times becomes a tax on the organisation.
Poor context setting and support systems. Telling a team member to “own it” without giving context, constraints or decision rights leads to poor execution. The result is often rework, when these managers say, “See, delegation doesn’t work.”
What’s the solution?
Start with clear communication. Articulate the objective, non-negotiables, constraints, deadlines and the metrics that signal the job is successfully done. Be clear on decision rights.
Calibrate risk. For low-risk items, delegate fully with check-ins only if needed. For medium risk, use “trust but verify”. For high-risk items, co-create the plan, then review outputs at key milestones.
Build a review cadence. Use the same questions each time: What’s the objective? What’s the current status versus plan? Where do you need help?
Remain a coach, don’t become the player. When work misses the mark, resist taking it over. Ask questions that help build capability.
Celebrate wins. Publicly credit the owner, yet continue to refine the playbook. Build the learnings into the system so the next person starts stronger.
Leaders create results through others. Delegating optimises time and is a force multiplier. Leaders need to delegate outcomes, build strong support mechanisms and keep their eyes on direction, not on every task. Smart working is how teams—and leaders—scale.
