Many days run together in business and as a leader our job is to separate out what we do and what others can do for us …or with us. The way to do this is to let go. Not something that comes easy to leaders; most of whom like the control that comes with the title, especially if it is your name on the outside of the building.
Letting go is hard. Letting go takes courage. Letting go means planning and following up. Are you prepared to do this? It is easier said than done! What if the task is not done the way you want it? What if the time-lines are not met? What if they do it better than you do? Well, so what? Think about that for a minute; new ideas, new perspectives, new solutions, the chance to develop someone else – could you ask for more? And yes – it may take longer to let go and delegate the first few. The fact is, in order to let go, you need to have the instructions, the explanations, and the planning come out of your head and into someone else’s. Eventually, they will get what you mean. As time goes along, you will find that the follow up becomes more important and providing feedback and recognition is really where the growth comes in.
The benefits of letting go far outweigh potential issues that can arise. Let’s look at just a few of the benefits of letting go:
- Helps develop your team
- Helps build morale
- Helps build team spirit
- Helps improve your delegation and follow up skills
- Opens up time to reflect and plan what to let go of next
- Shows your leadership in action
Letting go and empowering others will give you a sense of release and build morale on your team. This is an opportunity to look at your team and help them develop personally and professionally. By letting go, you are also setting the example that it can be done, and perhaps your team can look at what they are holding on to and find ways to do the same. Leaders surround themselves with smart people who often have the skills and expertise they may lack. Smart Leaders use the talent of letting go to function at full capacity.
Here is an exercise I do with my clients because the phrase I hear quite often is, “it is just easier if I do it. It would take longer to delegate”. Take 5 minutes today and think about all the ‘things’ you do as a leader. What are you doing simply because it would be faster/better if you did not pass it on? Who can you let that go to with the correct explanation and follow-up? It may not be exactly how you would do it, but a new twist and perspective may create a very unexpected and positive result.
Go on …let go!
How are you going to let go? Please comment below to keep the conversation going.
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