These past few weeks, I was feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks that I need to be accomplish in my research, personal life, and as the head of the International Student Union. I felt like I had to do it all alone. However, the solution to my problems revealed itself this week. It was not to work harder or longer hours – it was to learn how to delegate. 

Delegation is the art of assigning tasks to others who are better equipped to handle them than you are. But, the fear of delegation was holding me back from achieving my goals. In this blog post, I want explore the problem of trying to do everything yourself, the solution of delegation, and how to overcome the fear of delegation.

The Problem: You Can’t Do It All Alone

For me, delegating tasks can be challenging, especially because I’m used to doing everything myself. However, trying to handle everything on me own lead to burnout and decreased productivity. It’s like trying to carry a heavy load of groceries all by myself. I was able to manage for a while, but eventually, I became become exhausted and unable to carry on.

Overcoming the Fear of Delegation

So why do people like me have such a hard time delegating? Perhaps it’s because we fear that others won’t do the task as well as we would, or we worry that we’ll appear incompetent if we ask for help. However, keeping everything to yourself can hinder growth and progress for everyone.

Delegating not only frees up time to focus on more important tasks, but it also allows your team members to grow and develop their skills. It’s like teaching someone how to cook a new recipe. At first, they may need guidance and support, but eventually, they’ll be able to cook the dish on their own, and you’ll have one less task to worry about.

To ensure the longevity and continuity of a team or organization, all team members must be able to contribute their best to the mission. Think of a relay race: the first runner may be the fastest, but they cannot complete the race alone. They must trust their teammates to run their portion of the race just as well as they can, and ultimately pass the baton to the next runner. Similarly, as a leader, you must trust your team to carry out their tasks and ultimately achieve the larger goal.

One way to overcome the fear of delegation is to start small. Delegate tasks that are less critical and build up to more important tasks as you and your team become more comfortable. It’s also important to communicate expectations clearly and provide support and resources to ensure success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, delegation is an essential skill for any successful leader. It is impossible to do everything alone, and delegating tasks can help you focus on more important responsibilities. The art of delegation requires overcoming the fear of delegation and trusting your team to get the job done.

Remember, delegation is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of effective leadership. By delegating tasks to the right people, you can achieve more than you ever could on your own. While I still have much to learn and practice on the topic of delegation, this week I finally learned how to let go and delegate.