"If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate..."

Former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Sandra Day O'Connor reportedly once said, "The really expert riders of horses let the horse know immediately who is in control, but then guide the horse with loose reins and seldom use the spurs."  She was right, of course.  One of the most difficult things for any new leader is the art of delegation.  We can't do it all.  Nor should we.  Unfortunately, we tend to hold on to authority and responsibility, even for the simple and straightforward tasks.

Why can't we delegate?  For many new leaders especially, the inability (or in some cases, the outright refusal) to delegate stems from a perceived fear of losing power.  The new leader has just been given authority and responsibility, and he or she does not want to screw up so early in his or her new tenure.  New leaders (and many seasoned leaders) also don't want to delegate for fear of failure and not getting the job done.  These leaders don't trust their teams to be able to do the work in a manner that they feel is warranted in order to accomplish the task successfully. 

President Ronald Reagan (who, incidentally, nominated Justice O'Connor) said, "Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is carried out."  In other words, leaders need to establish the mission, vision, and values, develop the strategy, set the goals and objectives, and then delegate both the authority and responsibility to execute the strategy to meet the goals and objectives.  It shouldn't be that difficult.  If a leader doesn't trust his or her team to execute the strategy, then one of two things needs to occur.  Either find the right individuals to be on the team or develop the ones that are already on the team so that they can be successful.

There are so many more benefits to delegation than there are risks.  First and foremost, delegation is a development opportunity for emerging leaders on the team.  There's no more powerful statement of trust and confidence than for a leader to delegate authority and responsibility to someone else on the team.  Delegation often leads to new and/or enhanced skills and knowledge.  Delegation fosters loyalty, increases motivation, and improves overall job satisfaction.  As the team develops additional experience and skills, they can take on even more difficult jobs and projects.  All of these things will free up time for the leader, so that he or she can focus on being more strategic, more innovative, and more visionary.  Finally, the leader that delegates will develop a reputation in the organization for building trust, loyalty, and camaraderie, as well as developing talent.

The author John C. Maxwell said, "If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself.  If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate."  He was absolutely correct.  Learn to delegate.