“I guess I will have to do it myself.”
“I can’t understand why they just don’t seem to get it.”
If you have ever experienced those thoughts as a leader, welcome to the club.
As leaders, we are often disappointed by the results we receive when we finally overcome the inclination to
do everything ourselves and delegate responsibilities to others.
And when the outcome fails to meet our expectations, our natural instinct is to go directly into problemsolving mode: fix it ourselves and quietly conclude, “If I want it done right, I have to do it myself.”
Most leaders believe delegation is simple: assign the task and expect the result.
But true delegation is far more complex. Delegation is an art.
How a leader delegates should depend heavily upon the competence and confidence of the individual
receiving the responsibility.
Too often leaders simply want to get the task off their plate so they can move on to the next problem. That
approach rarely develops people.
When someone is brand new to a responsibility, they are often highly motivated and enthusiastic, but
possess little actual competence. In that stage, leaders cannot simply throw the assignment over the wall
and hope for success. They must provide direction, structure, clarity, and frequent follow-up.
Soon after, many employees begin realizing how much they do not yet know. Confidence drops. Energy
often declines. Competence may be improving, but uncertainty begins to surface.
At that point, leadership must shift. The leader becomes less directive and more of a coach — helping the
individual continue building skills while regaining confidence.
As competence continues to grow, confidence may still lag behind. Now the leader’s role becomes more
supportive — reinforcing progress, encouraging ownership, and helping the individual trust the capabilities
they are developing.
Finally, the team member reaches the point where both competence and confidence are high. At that stage,
the leader can delegate with far greater autonomy and far less oversight.
The problem is that many leaders attempt to jump directly to that final stage without investing in the
developmental stages that precede it.
When that happens, frustration grows. Disappointment follows. And leaders often revert back to
micromanaging everything themselves.
The role of a leader is to develop the competence and confidence of the people they are privileged to lead.
That requires adjusting the leadership approach to match the task-level maturity of the individual.
Forget that principle and eventually you end up right back where we started:
“I guess I will just have to do it myself.”
Where can you adjust your leadership approach today to more effectively develop the competence and
confidence of the people around you?
