You Must Learn To Delegate
Picture this:
Snoopy is lying on top of his famous doghouse, complaining that there’s too much to do. In the final frame of the cartoon, he sighs, “I hate being head beagle!”
Snoopy’s view of leadership aside, if you like the privileges of being ‘head beagle,’ but not the responsibilities, you probably haven’t learned the art of delegation.
DL Moody said,
You can do the work of ten men, or get ten men to do the work.”
Why don’t we delegate?
1. Fear of losing authority
Some would rather have compliant people who will do exactly what they want. Eventually this system fails as no-one takes initiative and all decisions have to come to the the top!
2. I can do it better myself!
In some cases, you’re right! But much of the time we just have to let people do the job their own way – don’t be so rigid. You might find there are better ways to do a job.
3. I can do it faster myself!
We can be so task-oriented to get the job done that we lack patience in teaching others through trial and error. If you’re not willing to take the time needed, the business can only grow to the limit of one person – you!
4. Why train people? I didn’t need it!
For a lot of us there was little or no positive input or training, so we learned to work as independents. That can be fatal to your dream of growing a business.
Theodore Roosevelt said,
The best leader is the one who has sense to pick good people to do what he or she wants done, and enough self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it “
Peter Irvine
www.peterirvine.com
Peter is Co-Founder of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, author of ‘Win In Business’ and ‘Building your Business, your People, your Life’ and keynote speaker.
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