Have you ever heard of the quote “My way or the highway”? This isn’t always a good mental state, especially if you want to be an outstanding leader. Not everything can go your way, and not everything can be exactly how you like it. One problem that some people have in a leadership position, particularly those with a lead in business (like a business owner), is that they will absolutely need to let go of the idea that things can go the exact way they want. It’s just not always going to be possible, unfortunately.
So, with that said, you need to embrace delegation and embrace that you can’t do it all, and not everyone can do things the way you’d like. This is absolutely vital when it comes to being a better leader. So, here’s why leaders shouldn’t do it all and why they really need to focus more on delegation.
You Need to Focus on Your Vision
How do you expect to focus on your end goal if you’re too busy trying to sort out all of these small daily inconveniences? One thing you absolutely need to keep in mind is the fact that leadership is all about steering the ship toward a strategic vision. When leaders immerse themselves in every operational detail, they risk losing sight of the bigger picture. So, when delegating routine tasks, you’re allowing yourself to focus on formulating and executing strategic plans that drive your business forward.
You Might Not Be As Good As You Though
It’s the cold, hard truth, but whatever you think is good might not actually be good, or at least as effective as you may think it will be. It’s important to allow specialization, whether it be your team, freelancers, or even firms you’re hiring.
While you may think you’re doing something right, such as SEO or other forms of marketing, there could very well be a chance you’re doing a poor job and the SEO agencies out there are doing better. In general, just delegate the things you’re not good at. You need to be realistic with yourself and understand that you might not be able to do everything as flawlessly as you hoped.
Helps Prevent Burnout
Every time you try to handle everything yourself, you’re becoming more and more at risk of getting burned out of it all. You need to understand that delegation alleviates the burden on leaders like yourself; this allows you to maintain a healthier work-life balance. You’re not being lazy, and you’re not being a bad leader.
Plus, distributing tasks among your team members prevents burnout by avoiding excessive workloads on any single individual. So, this isn’t just on you but everyone. No one can handle this; no one is able to thrive on all of this pressure from work.
It Builds Trust
You just can’t have a solid team if trust isn’t present. Every time you handle more and more work on yourself, you’re indirectly telling your team that you have a lack of trust and faith in them. This reflects poorly on a leader because a leader needs to show their trust before their followers can show it to them.
When team members feel trusted and empowered, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, contribute proactively, and collaborate effectively. Working together builds up this bond, but trust is key in order for this to happen.