Letting go is hard to do: Three reasons leaders struggle to delegate

For any organisation seeking to boost productivity and profitability, empowering leaders to delegate is a critical step in fostering long-term success. For any organisation seeking to boost productivity and profitability, empowering leaders to delegate is a critical step in fostering long-term success. 

Delegation is far more than just a way to lighten a leader’s workload. It is a powerful strategy that can drive productivity, enhance employee development, foster innovation and improve profitability. 

Think of it this way – everyone needs to be doing their job for a team to succeed. Major sporting teams cannot win a world cup if their captain is doing the work of his or her teammates because that leaves the captain with less time and ability to do their own job. 

Why leaders struggle to delegate in the workplace

This reluctance to delegate can stem from various factors, including personal beliefs, habits, perfectionism, organisational culture and the nature of the tasks themselves. Understanding these challenges is the first step towards overcoming them and fostering a more efficient and empowered workforce. Here are three common challenges to overcome when it comes to delegation.

The fear of losing control

One of reasons leaders struggle to delegate is the fear of losing control. Leaders, especially of SMEs they have built from nothing, understandably feel a sense of ownership over their projects and responsibilities, and entrusting others with these tasks can be unnerving. 

Suggested action – Delegating doesn’t mean abdicating responsibility or losing control. Effective delegation requires clear communication of expectations, goals and deadlines. If the buck stops with you, then make sure you have regular checkpoints with your employee (but not too many otherwise you are micro-managing!) throughout the project to ensure the job is being done to standard. Set clear guidelines when you delegate, so they know what their decision-making remit is and where they need to get approval from you before they take the next step. 

Lack of trust in team members

Another significant barrier to delegation is a lack of trust in team members. Leaders may doubt the abilities, commitment or judgment of their staff, leading them to believe that they are the only ones capable of performing certain tasks correctly. This lack of trust can be a result of past experiences where delegation led to unsatisfactory outcomes.

Suggested action – If you can’t trust your employees to do what you need from them, either provide them with training and development so they get up to speed ASAP; or make changes to your workforce so you have the competency and commitment you need in your team. If you are not getting the right people into your team you may need to look at your recruitment/selection process. Using a rugby analogy, if your goal kicker is only able to kick at a 50% success rate, action needs to be taken. Choosing to do nothing and continuing to do it all yourself will see you stay on the merry-go-round of overwork and burnout, and result in high employee turnover and low employee job satisfaction from a lack of development in their positions. Trust is built through doing real work so, start delegating but with smaller, less mission critical projects/tasks and then keep upping the ante as you and your staff gain in confidence.  

Time constraints

Delegation can be time-consuming, especially in the initial stages. Leaders need to take the time to explain tasks, provide necessary resources, and offer guidance and support. In fast-paced work environments, leaders convince themselves that it is quicker and more efficient to complete tasks themselves rather than invest time in delegation. Over time this is not the case. 

Suggested action – Adopt a long-term mindset. The start of the year is a great time to try new approaches to see if you can improve results for your business. Try delegating properly as one of your business strategies for 2025 and see what happens. Create a culture that accepts that mistakes are part of the learning process. Focus on progress rather than perfection and encourage a culture of continuous improvement. While delegating tasks may initially slow down progress, it can lead to greater efficiency and productivity in the long run as team members develop their skills, take on more responsibilities and let you focus on your core role as a business owner/senior leader – bringing in new business and identifying new revenue streams. 

Conclusion

Good delegation improves your bottom line (and your sanity!).

Delegation is a vital skill for leaders, enabling you to maximise your impact and develop your teams. By understanding and addressing the challenges of delegation, leaders can create a more empowered and effective workforce. Embracing trust, clear communication and a focus on long-term benefits can help leaders overcome their reluctance to delegate and foster a culture of collaboration and growth.

If your organisation is facing some challenges around delegating, our Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki HR teams facilitate “power of delegation” workshops that can be tailored for your organisation, and those teams, plus our Auckland HR team, also offer wider leadership training.