A great leader must know how to delegate. It’s a critical skill, and one of the hardest to master. Many leaders struggle to let go of tasks, especially those they were once known for. But failing to delegate can lead to burnout, disengaged teams and a lack of focus on strategic leadership. 

In our Leadership Unlocked podcast episode, we explored why delegation is so challenging and shared three key strategies to help leaders delegate effectively. Here’s what you need to know to shift from doing it all to leading with impact. 

Why Leaders Struggle to Delegate 

New and emerging leaders have a tendency to hold onto technical tasks because that’s what they’re comfortable with and are known for. When you’ve been recognised and rewarded for a particular skill, it’s natural to want to keep doing what you’re good at.  

This happens consistently when technically skilled people are promoted into leadership roles, with no experience in leading people. 

However, as your responsibilities as a leader increase, failing to delegate can leave you overwhelmed and stuck in the weeds of day-to-day tasks. 

Common reasons leaders resist delegation include: 

• Perfectionism & control – the belief that “only I can do it right.” 

• Time constraints – thinking it’s quicker to do it yourself than to train someone else. 

• Guilt & responsibility – worrying about burdening team members with extra work. 

• Unclear role shift – questioning, “If I hand this off, what am I supposed to be doing?” 

But true leadership isn’t about doing it all yourself — it’s about achieving results through your people. The key is to trust your team and give them the opportunity to step up. 

Great leaders don’t delegate, they provide ownership. 

3 Strategies to Start Delegating with Confidence 

To successfully delegate, leaders need to build trust, recognise strengths and establish strong feedback loops. Here’s how: 

1. Build trust through clear expectations 

Delegation starts with trust. If your team senses you don’t fully trust them, they’ll hesitate to take ownership. Here’s how you can build trust:

• Be transparent about your expectations — explain why the task matters and what success looks like. 

• Give your team the space to experiment, problem-solve and learn from mistakes. 

• Recognise and celebrate wins, reinforcing your confidence in their abilities. 

Leaders who trust their teams create an environment where people feel empowered to step up and take ownership.

2. Identify strengths and assign accordingly

Delegation isn’t about offloading work you don’t want to do — it’s about matching tasks to the right people. To do this effectively: 

• Observe your team members’ strengths and aspirations. 

• Utilise your one-on-one conversations to understand what they enjoy and where they want to grow. 

• Use tools like DISC or LSI to help team members gain self-awareness about their strengths. 

When people are working in areas where they thrive, they’re more engaged, confident and willing to take on responsibility. 

3. Follow up and provide ongoing feedback 

Delegation doesn’t end when you assign a task. Leaders must stay engaged through structured check-ins to ensure progress and provide support. 

• Set the expectation through clear action items, timelines and deadlines before delegating a task. 

• Use project management tools like Trello, Smartsheet or Asana to track progress. 

• Regularly check in to celebrate progress, offer mentoring and support, while ensuring alignment. 

• Ask for feedback from your team — what worked well? What could be improved next time? 

Following up ensures tasks don’t fall through the cracks and helps your team continuously develop their skills. 

Delegation is a Leadership Superpower 

As a new leader, letting go of tasks can feel uncomfortable. But when you delegate effectively, you: 

• Free up time to focus on strategy and vision.  

• Develop your team’s skills and confidence.  

• Create a high performing, engaged and empowered team where individuals feel valued and are constantly improving. 

Where do you start? 

Start small. Implement these three strategies and watch how delegation transforms both your leadership and your team’s potential. 

Want to dive deeper? Listen to the full episode, check out our leadership resources hub or connect with us on LinkedIn for more insights on building high-performing teams.