One of our favourite parts of delivering leadership development workshops is witnessing light bulb moments! In our Delegation session we explore common roadblocks to effective delegation – often ‘it’s just quicker to do things myself’ or ‘I want to make sure it’s done right. If I do it, I know it’s done and done right’.
In a recent session, a participant shared “I actually don’t need to delegate right now – I’ve got the capacity.”. And that seems quite logical. Why delegate if you have the time and expertise to do it yourself?
Then we dove into the topic of delegation for development, and that’s when the the light bulb moment hit! Delegation isn’t just about freeing up your time – it’s about growing others.
This is the mindset shift that transforms leadership from the doing to leading. When you delegate with the intent to build capability in others, you’re not just distributing workload – you’re actively growing the skill, confidence, and ownership of your team. Delegation becomes an investment – and like any good investment, it pays off over time.
The Mindset Shift
When leaders move from the view of ‘delegation to lighten my load’ to ‘delegation as a tool to grow others and increase team capacity’ everything changes.
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Teams become more engaged and empowered
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Capability deepens across all levels
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Risk is reduced, and leadership becomes more sustainable – no longer dependent on a single person holding all the knowledge
How to Delegate for Development
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Start small: Choose tasks that offer a stretch without overwhelm.
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Be clear on expectations: What does success look like?
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Coach, don’t rescue: Be a support, not a backstop.
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Debrief and reflect: Turn every delegated task into a learning moment.
We love helping leaders make mind-set shifts in all aspects of leadership, because it’s these shifts that turn good leaders into great ones! Next time you’re tempted to just do it yourself, pause and ask: Is this a chance to grow someone else? That’s when real leadership begins.