LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS:
Delegation
Hello Sheeba,
Delegation is one of the greatest skills an effective leader can learn. It can prevent burn out, it allows for fresh solutions to ongoing issues, it helps your team feel trusted and valued, and it empowers those around you.
So why does it feel so risky?
Many leaders, have a real resistance toward delegation, and there are often many different reasons. If you find yourself feeling the need to do everything yourself, the first step is to identify why.
The work will not get done well. This is a common fear of leaders who resist delegating. The idea is that you know best how to do certain tasks, and it is quicker and easier to just do it yourself than take the time to train and troubleshoot with a team member. Yet, as your own workload increases, you may find that taking that time in the beginning will reap dividends of being able to focus on greater tasks later.
I feel bossy when I delegate. It's important to be direct and assertive as a leader, but no one want to feel as though they are dumping their own work on others. To avoid this, remember that you have built a team who is dedicated to the success of the business. Be clear in your instructions, respond promptly when your staff has questions, and listen if a team member indicates that they may not have the bandwidth to take on another project at any given time. All of this will ensure that your team will gladly help when they can and not feel pushed around.
I think delegating will make it look like I don't have a handle on things. We all want to be perceived as put together and on top of things - especially in a leadership role. However, not delegating before things actually do get out of hand leads to stress, tasks left incompleted, and a lack of productivity. So ask yourself: Is it better to be perceived as overwhelmed or to actually be overwhelmed?? Chances are, your team won't think twice about you needing to get a few things off of your plate anyway.
When applied skillfully, delegation is one of the most powerful techniques in a leader's tool belt. So, don't be afraid of it. Learn to delegate effectively. You don't have to do it all yourself!
COACHING QUESTIONS
- What are some tasks on your schedule right now that someone else should be doing or could even do better than you?
- Do you know how to prioritize what can be delegated and what can't?
- How do you support team members when they are working on a task that you have delegated to them?
Did You Know?
LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
Patrice Harris, MD
In June, Dr. Patrice Harris was sworn in as the 174th President of the American Medical Association. She is the first female African-American to hold the office.
Dr. Harris has been a leader in spearheading innovative measures to integrate public health, behavioral health, and primary care services nationwide for several years. As the AMA President, her focus will remain primarily the same with an added emphasis on redesigning medical education and removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care.
"We face big challenges in health care today, and the decisions we make now will move us forward in a future we help create," Dr. Harris said. "We are no longer at a place where we can tolerate the disparities that plague communities of color, women, and the LGBTQ community. But we are not yet at a place where health equity is achieved in those communities…And I hope to be tangible evidence for young girls and young boys and girls from communities of color that you can aspire to be a physician. Not only that, you can aspire to be a leader in organized medicine."
LEADERSHIP RESOURCE
Public Speaking Help
Whether it's at a national conference or simply a company meeting, public speaking can be hard. Speaking.io is a website that walks you step-by-step through the process; from organizing your notes, creating supporting images, and staying focused during your presentation.
FREE LEADERSHIP QUIZ
How Ready Are You to Lead Your Team
Leadership is having the desire and ability to develop and grow in your response-agility toward people and situations you find yourself in every day. When you are able to do this effectively, you are able to expand your leadership presence, communicate effectively, build strong relationships, and develop those around you.
So, how ready are you to lead others? Take this simple quiz and find out.
Sheeba Varghese is a Professional Certified Coach, speaker, and mentor to many. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.
In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and eating at the wonderful restaurants of San Francisco.
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