3 Smart Reasons to Learn to Delegate

Leaders, do you monitor your employees’ work too closely?

There’s a word for that. It’s called micromanaging.  It makes your job harder than it has to be. If only you could learn to delegate more tasks, you would feel less overwhelmed and your employees would feel more valued.

Here is what leadership development programs have to say on the subject.

1. By giving over responsibility for specific tasks to your team, you are showing your confidence in their ability to deliver and they will feel engaged in the process and that they own the project.
2. If you do not oversee their every move, they will feel more confident, trusted and likely to update you on progress on their own…as well as check in with you if they have any questions.
3. The employee becomes accountable for a job well or poorly done and know that they now have a chance to demonstrate their abilities.

When “No” Is the Right Answer

How hard is it to say “no” to a special request from your boss or when a new account walks in the door?

Very hard.

But sometimes, leadership development programs say, it is the right answer.

Consider a time when you are already so overworked that you knew ahead of time that you could not turn in the quality work your boss expected of you. Or think about the consequences of taking on a new account before thoroughly evaluating whether you can really deliver what they need.

You should say “no” when the consequences of refusing the request are less than the consequences of saying “yes.”

Don’t give the knee-jerk response that avoids discomfort in the short-term but invites disaster in the long-term. Take the time to think it through. Then, if you decide “no” is the right answer, deliver the news in a way that shows your intentions are to be supportive. Paint a picture of the consequences of saying “yes” and then offer to work on the solution. 

Why Leaders Must Shed Their “Protective Shell”

Many leaders surround themselves with a protective shell. They disregard their feelings and put on a hard, isolating exterior. They feel that showing much emotion is a sign of weakness not becoming of a leader.

On the contrary, leadership development programs now advocate that showing one’s human side is a sign of great leadership.

Leaders need to connect with their followers. By denying emotions, they distance themselves from those they need to communicate and empathize with. Instead of appearing strong and in control, they show themselves as remote and uncaring. Leaders who are in touch with their emotions are able to communicate more effectively because they understand what others are feeling and can empathize. The more “human” they are, the more they can reach, influence and lead others – especially during times of change.

Truly effective leaders get it. They know what their followers are capable of, when it is time to march forward, and when it is time to gather consensus. The better they understand their team (and their team understands them), the better they can lead.