Delegating Isn't Offloading. It's How You Build a Leadership Bench.
Inc.'s Louise Allen argues stronger leaders delegate to build the next layer of leaders, not just to get time back, and a leader is measured by what the organization can do without them.
Prompted by “Step Back: The Leadership Lesson High Achievers Often Miss”, Inc. (Louise Allen).
Most leaders delegate to get time back. Stronger ones do it to build the next layer of leaders.
Inc.'s Louise Allen points out that the instincts that got you promoted, owning the work and taking the credit, get in the way once you're in charge. A leader who stays at the center of every decision teaches the team to wait for direction.
Talented people spend years rehearsing for a moment that never comes, then leave for somewhere that will give it to them sooner. Her yardstick: a rising star is measured by what they do. A leader is measured by what the organization can do without them.
Four moves for building a bench
- Bring people into the conversation about what the team needs to accomplish.
- Invite their questions about the approach, and actually be willing to adjust.
- Stand behind them when it doesn't go perfectly.
- Debrief honestly. Say what you'd have done differently, ask what they'll change next time, and let there be a next time.
Whether you're a CEO or an owner-operator, in a small or medium-sized business there's no leadership program or HR pipeline. The only development program is the work you hand out. If you never hand it off, you don't have a bench. You have yourself and some helpers.
Test it out: pick one responsibility you've kept because you do it best. Name who will own it by next month. Hand over the whole outcome, not just the tasks, let them take the credit, and put the debrief on the calendar before it starts. And if you handed your three biggest recurring responsibilities to three people next quarter, who would get which, and what have they been given so far to prepare?
Looking for help developing your bench? Learn about our leadership team coaching.
Looking for a place to discuss issues like this with other local business leaders? Join one of our no-cost Rochester CEO insight sessions and test your ideas with your peers.
Originally posted on LinkedIn ↗