Don’t be “shell-fish”

Don’t be “shell-fish”... delegate. Okay, maybe that’s not the exact phrase, but as I sit here at beach with the children enjoying the end of summer, I’m feeling a little playful. Seriously though, as a leader it can be hard to give up control and delegate to your team, but by not delegating, you’re not only continuing to overload yourself, but also robbing your team of the opportunity to learn and grow.

As a leader, it is not only your responsibility to make sure that the work gets done, but also to develop your team.

One of my guiding principles is that if a people leader is not growing their talent, then they are not being an effective leader.

You may feel like you are getting paid to get the work done, but by doing the work yourself, you are preventing others from being able to do it in the future. The first time you do something is the first time you do it, so you might as well give your team permission to try while you are there protect and guide them. Holding onto that work is only supporting your fear and ego.

The next time you think about doing work that someone on your team “could” do, think of my little ghost crab and remember to not be so “shellfish.”