Knowing when to delegate is a very important quality of successful leaders.
“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”—attributed to Theodore Roosevelt.
Deciding on what to do is as important as deciding on what not to do. Attempting to do everything all by yourself is a good way to cripple the growth of an organisation. It also imprisons the potentials of your team members.
This is one quality I’ve observed in most successful leaders – they know when it’s time to delegate authority, duties and roles. And they stay around to oversee but not to control, else it’d be useless.
If your interest is truly to grow the business, community, institution or whatever organisation you’re leading, then, you have to learn to delegate because no one will make a great business who wants to do it all himself and get all the credit.
The real expert horse riders let the horse know immediately who is in control, but then guide the horse with loose reins and seldom use the spurs.
Sandra Day O’Connor
