time-management – Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership

You Can’t Delegate Your Influence

A professional manager understands that managing is an active role. It requires proactive effort, not just sitting back and overseeing tasks. A good manager knows how to delegate responsibility and authority. It’s a key skill that helps multiply their impact and develop the next generation of leaders.

There’s no shortage of books and articles that dive deeply into the art of delegation. Many are worth reading and putting into practice. But here’s the thing: no matter how much you delegate, you can’t delegate your influence. That personal touch—the way you listen, share your perspective, and guide the conversation—is something only you can bring to the table.

Managers have a unique viewpoint. They understand the critical questions facing the organization in a way others often don’t. Their value lies in their ability to communicate directly, to really hear what’s being said (and often what isn’t), and to guide the organization toward the right path. That’s what makes their influence so crucial.

Now, picture this: a manager sends one of their team members to a meeting with internal customers. The goal? For the subordinate to represent the manager’s ability to listen, understand, and guide the discussion. Sure, it can work if that person has full decision-making authority and can make agreements that hold the manager accountable. But that’s rarely the case.

So, we come back to the reality: a manager has to prioritize where they spend their time and energy, making sure they’re showing up where their influence is most needed. It’s not just about sitting in meetings or making decisions on the fly—it’s about really understanding the dynamics in play, both spoken and unspoken.

A manager’s influence over the direction of projects, processes, and people can’t be handed off. At best, subordinates can carry a “shadow” of that influence. It might get the job done, but it’s not likely to push the organization in the bold direction it needs to go.

In the end, while delegation is a powerful tool, influence is personal. And if you’re serious about leading, you need to make sure you’re showing up where it counts.

Photo by Katja Anokhina on Unsplash

Delegation isn’t Abdication

Delegation isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. As the leader, you aren’t abdicating the task and walking away…

How’s your delegation game? If you’re like most managers, I bet there’s room for improvement. As leaders, our ability to delegate effectively is a cornerstone of organizational success.

When done correctly, delegation is a powerful tool for growth, multiplying a leader’s effectiveness and unlocking the full potential of individuals and their organization.

Delegation isn’t a mere task transfer—a way to dump all the unpleasant tasks off your plate and onto someone else’s. True delegation involves entrusting the responsibility and authority needed for the team member to take emotional ownership of the assignment. This is the only way they’ll be able to make the decisions necessary for success.

Delegation isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. As the leader, you aren’t abdicating the task and walking away. It’s critical that you remove your ego from the equation, recognizing that your team member’s approach may differ from yours. Your job is to provide the necessary space and grace for team members to be successful. Moreover, you should offer support, insights, and resources to aid in their success without dictating every step.

Delegation is the linchpin for developing a pipeline of future leaders. Breaking employees free from routine tasks pushes them outside their comfort zones. They learn more about their organization and themselves. Their picture of the organization becomes clearer, and their connection to the organization strengthens.

Success breeds confidence. Not only is the leader’s effectiveness multiplied when their team members succeed, team members gain confidence to handle future challenges. When setbacks occur, leaders should provide guidance, help redirect efforts, and work collaboratively to identify lessons learned.

Managers who refrain from delegation or hoard the “secret sauce” of their roles create a bottleneck in leadership development. They will find themselves locked into their roles, unable to develop or contribute to other parts of the organization. Their failure to prepare team members for advancement creates a stagnant environment that hinders overall organizational agility. Without a culture of delegation, an organization will struggle to identify and nurture emerging talent.

One other thing about delegation: when you delegate an important task, it’s your job to champion your team member’s efforts within the organization. If you’re congratulated for their success, make sure your team members get recognized for doing the work. If things go poorly, own the failure and work with your team members to improve their chance of success the next time.

Delegation is not just a skill. It’s a long-term strategic commitment to nurturing and building tomorrow’s leaders.

How can you enhance your delegation practices today?

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Term Papers and Preventable Urgencies

Procrastination initiates a cascade of preventable urgencies, turning manageable tasks into overwhelming burdens and sowing seeds of chaos in our future.

Few things strike fear into the hearts of students quite like the term paper.

The teacher lays out the assignment – a substantial research paper requiring thorough analysis and a minimum of 5000 words. Oh yeah…and half of your grade in the class will be based on how well you do on the term paper. You have until the last week of the semester to get it done.

You think about the topic. You might even jot down some notes on your phone about how you’ll approach it. But there’s no need to rush on this assignment. You have plenty of time. Besides, your friends are heading out to get some tacos and margaritas at your favorite Mexican restaurant. This term paper can wait another day.

As the weeks go by, a creeping feeling of impending doom grips your subconscious. You haven’t started work on that term paper. Growing anxiety and stress become unwelcome companions as the deadline looms closer, and you realize the gravity of the task at hand.

Unfortunately, you have other things on your plate that need more attention. Ironically, many of these more-urgent items are other long-term projects that you had chosen to delay…until now.

The urgency of the term paper magnifies as the deadline inches closer. The once-manageable project becomes an overwhelming burden.

You start to question the fairness of the assignment. How can this teacher expect me to write 5000 words on this topic when I have all these other classes to manage and so little time to get it done?

A cascade of preventable urgencies engulfs your life, leaving you in a world of self-inflicted chaos.

Sound familiar?

The term paper saga is a small-scale reflection of the self-inflicted busyness and chaos in our lives.

Only a disciplined and methodical approach to our tasks can break the grip of procrastination. Our bias must be toward thoughtful and immediate action, not mindless delays to another day.

The time to start work on that long-term project is now, not tomorrow. The time to continue work on that long-term project is tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that.

Procrastination is a choice. Each delay we accept sows seeds of chaos in our future. Every task we postpone adds to the burden our future selves must bear.