What really keeps you from delegating?

You know you should do it. You realize you can’t grow unless you do.

What gets in the way are the thoughts you have about it.

❌ It will take them longer.
❌ Last time it didn’t work out
❌ I don’t have time to explain it.
❌ I don’t want to fix the mistakes.

You believe these thoughts are facts, so you don’t question whether they’re serving you.

The problem is not the act of delegating.

The problem is your thoughts about it, which make you feel frustrated or anxious.

You’re focusing on what you don’t want, which never feels good.

So why do you do it?

Because you have evidence.

You have proof that it will take too long and your team will make mistakes because it’s happened in the past.

And you don’t want it to happen again.

That’s smart, right? You’re just learning from your mistakes.

But what you’re actually doing is dragging the past with you into the future.

Which means you will recreate it.

As business owners, the situation is magnified because everything affects you so personally. A mistake costs you money and affects your reputation.

I remember an employee telling me, “You have to let me figure it out.” At the time all I could see was what that would cost me in the moment.

The truth is it will cost you a LOT more in the end because when you become the bottleneck, your team won’t learn and grow.

And they won’t stay.

When you become the bottleneck your business stagnates and you burn out.

So what’s the solution? Play the long game.

Recognize the illusion. Giving up control does not put you at risk.

The greater risk is trying to do everything yourself.

It’s your job to:

1. Create the vision
2. Decide the priorities
3. Allocate resources
4. Evaluate results
5. Hire and coach leaders
6. Model the culture

Take a look at what you’re doing every day. If it’s not in one of these buckets, delegate it.

This does not mean abdicate.

You are not throwing a hail mary pass.

Explain the measurable outcomes you want. Ask people to come to you with proposed solutions for any obstacle they encounter. Give them a deadline.

Hold them accountable. This is not the dirty job most of us think it is.

It just means following up when you said you would and evaluating results.

Begin where you are. Don’t waste another day.