As a leadership coach, I often encounter executives struggling with delegation.
Just this week, a client confessed, "What if I delegate everything and my team becomes so good at it? Will I become obsolete?"
This fear is more common than you might think, and it's holding back countless leaders from reaching higher levels of leadership.
The Hero Loop: It’s a trap
Many find themselves caught in what I call the "hero loop." This cycle involves constantly jumping in to solve problems, earning praise from peers, and feeling like a hero.
While this might feel good in the moment, it's actually a sign of insecurity and can lead to several issues:
Bottlenecks in workflow
Stunted team development
Low team morale
Personal burnout
Micromanagement
If you recognize these symptoms in your leadership style, don't worry. There's a way out, and it starts with understanding the root causes.
Step 1: Face Your Insecurities
The reluctance to delegate often stems from a need for validation.
That is a sign that you're grappling with confidence issues, which truly are a lack of confidence in managing your insecurities in a productive and healthy way.
Imagine you’re about to delegate a big project. You feel some insecurity creeping up: worries about potential mistakes, nervousness, maybe even physical tension.
This initial insecurity is normal and happens to everyone. Don’t try to avoid it.
But if you don’t address it, it can become sustained insecurity, leading to anxiety.
Here's how to address this:
Acknowledge that feeling insecure is normal, especially when delegating important tasks.
Accept these feelings rather than trying to eliminate them.
Understand that everyone, even the most successful leaders, experiences moments of self-doubt.
Start a process of delegation by talking with your team about expectations, empowerment, coaching, etc... (that's for another newsletter)
Step 2: Build Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy - the belief in your ability to handle situations - is key to overcoming insecurities.
How do you get self-efficacy? Very simple: practice.
It is built through actions and experiences, not just thoughts and insights.
Looking at the five issues I share above, here's how to develop it
Bottlenecking: Delegate minor tasks to build trust gradually.
Stunted team development: Assign new responsibilities and provide necessary support.
Low team morale: Recognize team efforts and achievements.
Personal burnout: Set boundaries and prioritize your well-being.
Micromanagement: Step back, set clear expectations, and allow your team to find solutions.
Let's look at my recent client's situation.
He was hesitant to delegate, fearing he'd make himself unnecessary. We worked on reframing his perspective:
We identified how his skills could be better utilized at a higher leadership level.
We discussed how empowering his team would benefit more people and the company.
We explored new strategic initiatives he could focus on once he delegated more effectively.
We also talked about intrinsic motivations being a key part of the delegation. Ask yourself:
What higher-level work could I focus on if I delegated more?
How could my leadership have a broader impact on the organization?
What new skills or areas of expertise could I develop?
Effective delegation isn't about making yourself obsolete. It's about multiplying your impact by empowering others while freeing yourself to tackle bigger challenges you can handle uniquely.
Get busy reflecting on all this. If you don’t let go and manage your fears, everyone, including you, will lose.
Until next time 👋🏼
Roberto
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