Leadership is defined as the ability to guide, influence or manage individuals or groups while delegating is the act of distributing tasks, responsibilities, or authority.
‘To sum up, it is useful to surround oneself with the best people one can find, delegate responsibilities, and then stay out of the way.”Ronald Reagan
Delegate responsibilities: This is another crucial attribute that an efficient leader must possess to be effective in his or her leadership role. Mr. Ronald Reagan also emphasizes the point that a leader cannot do everything on his own. The strengths of your team can be utilized well by assigning work based on these strengths; both the team members as well as yourself can work in optimal capacity.
But, this is a challenge that is easier said than done. If expectations for the task are not clearly defined, role delegation and accountability, as well as ongoing supervision of the work, delegated tasks may be unsuccessful or result in lower quality work. As a leader, you have to master the art of delegation using these leadership principles:
“Any management job which can be delegated should be delegated but no further.”- Peter Drucker
Of course, it is crucial to understand what can and cannot be delegated in this context. Key management activities including strategic decision-making, articulation of company vision, and other core administrative responsibilities are more appropriately conserved with the leadership of an organization. Repetitive, daily, and specific manipulations and assignments should be given to trained and skilled employees so that they have adequate time to devote their attention to these tasks. Deluging your team with too many of your tasks will only result to confusion in the office and your tasks will not be accomplished effectively.
These are the Brian Tracy quotes about leadership and delegation: ‘Trust is the base of leadership, and delegation is the proof of your trust.’
Never assign the tasks randomly, rather the tasks must be assigned to those team members who have specific skills in that area. The media should also allow the spending time to identify the strengths, skills, and knowledge of each person and their motivation levels. Assign responsibilities to individuals based on the various attributes available to enable the delegation of tasks in the organization. Your faith in their abilities shall make them strive to achieve the best results. Make a point of acknowledging their work and achievements continuously.
There are four important points in the delegation process: assignment, alignment, assessment, and alleviation of barriers.
Develop the ability to delegate work rationally. It is important to describe the requirements for the given job and the expected result for the tasks. It is always important to check on the team periodically to make sure that work is proceeding as planned and to offer support when required. Consult carefully if they are trapped. It is important to remove any hindrances which may be in the form of unclear instructions, tools, or any other information that hinders the completion of the tasks.
The following leadership through delegation enables leaders to optimize their efforts in setting strategic goals, creating the organizational culture, and nurturing talent to steer the organization to the next level of performance. By adopting the right delegation style, leaders and the members of the team can effectively supplement each other in the best way and make the environment to delegate its best to bring out the best in everyone.