Cultivate the art of delegation
Delegation is not easy. It’s not just about moving something off our plate, but seizing an opportunity to build the competency and confidence of another.
As leaders, we need to take some time to plan for effective delegation. Do we have clarity about what and why we are delegating? Are we delegating a task or are we delegating authority? Most importantly, do we have a clear vision of what we want as an outcome, and are we creating buy-in?
Delegation is a leadership necessity, but it is difficult to practice. We were inspired by the folks at The Resourceful Manager put together a list of quotes to help you cultivate the art of delegation:
"Delegating Quotes To Live By" – curated from The Resourceful Manager
“The first rule of management is delegation. Don’t try and do everything yourself because you can’t.” - Anthea Turner, British media personality
“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” - Jessica Jackley, businesswoman.
“You can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility.” - Former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan.
“When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create leaders.” - Craig Groeschel, founder of Life Church.
“Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.” - Robert Half, HR consulting firm.
“No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.” - Andrew Carnegie, American industrialist.
“If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you’ve got to learn to delegate.” Richard Branson, British entrepreneur.
“A star wants to see himself rise to the top. A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top.” – Simon Sinek, author and consultant.
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” - Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
“The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.” – Eli Broad, entrepreneur.
One of The 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership®, from The Leadership Challenge® model is "Enable Others to Act." Within this practice, leaders find ways not only to support the growth of others, but engage and empower them through listening, giving them freedom and supporting the decisions they make on their own.
