Delegation Techniques for New Managers

"I'll delegate when I find good people." Translation: "I'll trust them after they prove themselves." Plot twist: They can't prove themselves until you trust them. Break the loop. Delegate to develop. Here's how: 1️⃣ What should you delegate? Everything. Not a joke. You need to design yourself completely out of your old job. Set your sights lower and you'll delegate WAY less than you should. But don't freak out: Responsibly delegating this way will take months. 2️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Boss The biggest wild card when delegating: Your boss.  Perfection isn't the target. Command is.  - Must-dos: handled  - Who you're stretching   - Mistakes you anticipate   - How you'll address Remember: You're actually managing your boss. 3️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Yourself  Your team will not do it your way.  So you have a choice: - Waste a ton of time trying to make them you?   - Empower them to creatively do it better?  Remember: 5 people at 80% = 400%. 4️⃣ Triage Your Reality - If you have to hang onto something -> do it.  - If you feel guilty delegating a miserable task -> delete it.  - If you can't delegate them anything -> you have a bigger problem. 5️⃣ Delegate for Your Development  You must create space to grow. Start here:   1) Anything partially delegated -> Completion achieves clarity.  2) Where you add the least value -> Your grind is their growth.  3) The routine -> Ripe for a runbook or automation. 6️⃣ Delegate for Their Development Start with the stretch each employee needs to excel. Easiest place to start: ask them how they want to grow. People usually know. And they'll feel agency over their own mastery. Bonus: Challenge them to find & take that work. Virtuous cycle. 7️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Team  Good delegation is more than assigning tasks:  - It's goal-oriented  - It's written down  - It's intentional When you assign "Whys" instead of "Whats", You get Results instead of "Buts". 8️⃣ Climb The Ladder Aim for the step that makes you uncomfortable:     - Steps over Tasks  - Processes over Steps  - Responsibilities over Processes  - Goals over Responsibilities   - Jobs over Goals  Each rung is higher leverage. 9️⃣ Don't Undo Good Work Delegating & walking away - You need to trust. But you also need to verify. - Metrics & surveys are a good starting point. Micromanaging - That's your insecurity, not their effort. - Your new job is to enable, motivate & assess, not step in. ✅ Remember: You're not just delegating tasks. - You're delegating goals. - You're delegating growth. - You're delegating greatness. The best time to start was months ago.  The next best time is today. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more posts like this. ♻️ And repost to help those leaders who need to delegate more.

Fortune 500 CEOs don’t scale by doing more. They scale by letting go. You’re overwhelmed. Your calendar’s packed. Your team is waiting on decisions you haven’t made yet. And your inbox looks like a dumpster fire. But here’s the real problem: You’re doing too much of the wrong work. You don’t need more hours. You need to delegate like a CEO. Delegation isn’t dumping. It’s a decision. A high-leverage, trust-building, culture-defining decision. Done well? It elevates everyone. Done poorly? It creates chaos. So how do top CEOs delegate with clarity and confidence? 1. Know your $10,000/hour tasks. They don’t spend time on scheduling, formatting, or micromanaging. They focus on vision, hiring, strategy, and relationships. Ask yourself: “What am I doing that someone else could do 80% as well?” That’s your cue. 2. Delegate outcomes, not tasks. Bad: “Send the client this spreadsheet.” Better: “Make sure the client understands the pricing breakdown.” Your team isn’t a to-do list. They’re problem-solvers. Treat them like it. 3. Start with clarity. What does success look like? What’s the deadline? What are the constraints? Ambiguity is not empowerment. Clear is kind. 4. Give ownership, not just instructions. The best leaders don’t just assign work. They transfer responsibility. Say: “This is yours. Own it.” Then step back. Trust doesn’t scale one approval at a time. 5. Expect mistakes. It’s not failure. It’s how people learn. Don’t rush in to fix. Coach instead. You’re not just delegating the task. You’re developing the person. 6. Follow up; don’t hover. Check in. Don’t check up. Ask: “What do you need from me to succeed?” Not: “Is it done yet?” The goal isn’t control. It’s capacity. 7. Audit your own ego. If you think, “It’s faster if I just do it myself,” you’re not leading. You’re limiting. Growth isn’t efficient at first. But it’s exponential over time. 8. Don’t delegate last. Delegate first. When a new project lands, your first question shouldn’t be “How will I get this done?” It should be, “Who should lead this—and how can I support them?” That’s how leaders build leaders. 9. Celebrate delegated wins. Loudly. When someone delivers? Shine the spotlight on them. Recognition locks in confidence. Because the moment they see you trust them, they start trusting themselves. You don’t become a great leader by holding the most. You become one by lifting the most people. So stop trying to prove your value by doing it all. Start showing your vision by sharing the load. The best CEOs don’t just build empires. They build people who can run them. ❓ What's your top delegation advice? ♻️ Repost to help others delegate like a CEO ➕ Follow Nathan Crockett, PhD for daily posts on leadership culture, strong families, and AI innovation.

Built 3 companies to $200M. Here's what I learned about delegation: Most CEOs think they're bad at delegating. The real problem? They're delegating wrong. The hard truth: You're not protecting your team by doing everything.     You're: Burning yourself out Bottlenecking growth Breaking trust     Your team needs to feel valued, not protected. Here's my proven system:     1. The Mindset Shift I used to think:  "No one can do this as well as me." Reality check:  When I got a concussion and couldn't work, my team excelled.     They just needed space to step up.     2. The Success Formula Before delegating any task, define: • What does success look like? • What's the deadline? • What resources are needed? • How will we measure results?     Clarity creates confidence.     3. The Communication Machine Create clear channels: • Slack = company chatter • Notion = project discussions • Email = external only • Weekly memos = alignment     No one-off conversations about projects. No decisions in DMs.     4. The Trust Test Ask yourself: "Would I pay someone $1M/year to do what I'm doing right now?" If not, why are YOU doing it? Your job is to: • Set vision • Build systems • Lead strategy • Make key decisions Delegate everything else.     5. The Weekly Ritual Every Friday, ask: • What did I do this week that someone else could do? • What meetings could I skip? • Where am I the bottleneck? • What systems need building?     Then take action.     6. The Team Power-Up Your team needs to know: • Where we're going • Why it matters • How they contribute • What success looks like     Give them this clarity, and they'll surprise you. The Final Truth: A CEO doing $10/hour tasks is a $10/hour CEO. Your company needs you operating at your highest level. Delegation isn't about doing less. It's about focusing on what matters most.   ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network  🔔 Follow Christine Carrillo for more

Feeling overwhelmed? You're not alone. The answer isn’t working harder 👇 Many leaders drown because they refuse to delegate. Not because they’re incapable — but because they care too much. Here’s the framework I coach leaders to use: 1️⃣ Start with self-awareness. ↳ Am I truly the only one who can handle this? 2️⃣ Evaluate risks objectively. ↳ What’s the worst that could happen if I delegate? 3️⃣ See delegation as development. ↳ Who would benefit from leading this? 4️⃣ Build safety nets. ↳ What quality checks will ensure success? 5️⃣ Communicate clear outcomes. ↳ What does 'done' look like? 6️⃣ Set healthy checkpoints. ↳ When will we check progress together? 7️⃣ Empower ownership. ↳ Which decisions can they own? 8️⃣ Celebrate growth moments. ↳ How will we recognize their success? 9️⃣ Coach first, then delegate. ↳ What knowledge do they need to succeed? 🔟 Invest your freed-up time wisely. ↳ What will I focus on now? 1️⃣1️⃣ Simplify your meeting load. ↳ Can this meeting be an async update? 1️⃣2️⃣ Eliminate busywork. ↳ What low-impact task can I stop? 1️⃣3️⃣ Spot emerging leaders. ↳ Who can make decisions confidently? 1️⃣4️⃣ Track and adjust. ↳ How will I know delegation is working? You deserve a calendar that serves your leadership, not one that buries you. ❓ What’s one task you know you should delegate but haven’t yet? ♻️ Repost to help more leaders escape calendar chaos. 👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) for more leadership frameworks that work.