The Art of Delegation
- Brian Walsh
- Oct 18, 2022
- 3 min read
I remember this podcast like it was yesterday, along with the run that sparked the conversation around this topic. EntreLeadership covered delegation or assistants for that matter. Now at the time I di not have anyone reporting into me at the moment, but that does not matter, because what it boils down to is delegation and the ability to effectively delegate, whether it be to a direct report, a colleague or anyone else for that matter.
Sometimes you need to delegate to fellow team members, or direct reports or someone in another role, the art and ability to delegate is critical to a leader’s success. As we talked I shared how I’m currently the Assistant Coach for my youngest son’s soccer team. In that role I try to do my best to see what he is planning out and offer to take on lower responsibilities so that he can effectively coach the kids. Some of these include getting the lights on as dark approaches, or in other cases I’ll kick the ball out to the kids so he can coach and direct the kids accordingly. The two of us make a pretty good team and I know I am no soccer expert having played maybe 1 year growing up, so I’m happy to step aside and allow him to coach the kids, but he is terrible at delegating to me, I always offer. Now with that he is quick to allow me to take on the role, but usually he does not ask. This is no knock against him, sometimes it is the nature of the situation we are in, but it brings out an important element of delegation that leaders need to take on.
I called delegation early on an art, and it truly is. A strong leader knows the areas that he/she provides the most value in and needs to know what areas are there that could easily be filled by others to tackle. When done effectively the leader can focus the attention on the tasks that are most critical to leading the team, while the assistant or delegate, provides that critical support to enable the leader to lead effectively. The role of the delegate is just as important here, as they need to effectively do their jobs, in my case I needed to know where the ball needed to be kicked each time to enable the kids to take it and deliver it according to the play the coach was working on. The art for the leader comes in to knowing what to delegate and who to delegate it to. They have to delegate tasks to the individual to either build a skill or utilize a strong skill they already have.
It reminds me of a recent Craig Groeschel podcast linked below that talks exactly of this. As a leader we need to look at the tasks that bring the most value to our organization and look at where we can focus our most attention to drive the most value to our organizations. By assessing where our value is best spent, we can focus our time correctly, have the time we need with our families and bring the most value to our organizations or teams.
Delegation is a key skill that every great leader needs to understand and use no matter where you are in the organization. If you are just an assistant, like me, then be the best assistant you can be, find places where you can help the leader succeed and I guarantee it will come back to help you in the long run to grow into the leader you are becoming.
Recommendations:
EntreLeadership - I have not listened to this one yet, but this is the one that sparked the conversation
Craig Groeschel - Defeating the Enemies of Growth - Part 1 https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/defeating-the-four-enemies-of-growth-part-1/
Part 2
BONUS - Really liked this one, not related to the above but it was a great conversation, it is the latest in his podcast, so the below link does not link to the podcast but look up the latest in wherever you listen
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