DELEGATION: Effective Delegation From Leaders & Managers' Perspective

Published: November 6, 2025

By Paul Ayres

Executive Summary

Delegation isn’t just shifting tasks; it’s one of the most powerful leadership tools for growing teams, freeing up leaders for strategic work, and giving employees career-building opportunities. When leaders delegate effectively through selecting the right work, providing clarity, granting authority, including following up, they unlock higher productivity, engagement, and growth. Research shows that only about 19% of leaders feel adept at delegation, yet those who do it well report lower burnout, stronger teams, and measurable business impact. For employees, being on the receiving end of strategic delegation sends a signal of trust, fosters skill development, and sets the stage for advancement. In this article, you’ll learn how to delegate with intention, how to prepare and empower your staff, and how to approach delegation as a win-win. At the end, you’ll find actionable steps to start today.

My Story: Starting at IBM and the Assignment That Set Me Back

Going way back to my time at IBM, brand new out of college, and very green as they say, I remember being so hungry to get meaningful assignments, challenges, and tasks at work that would make a difference for my department, my project, my function, my business unit, and the company. I longed for delegation. I wanted the ability to grab something that was new and prove to myself and the company that I could master it. I so desperately wanted to make a positive impact through results.

I do recall when certain items landed on my plate. Especially those delegated to me from my immediate department manager (a seasoned engineer who was one of IBM’s self-taught up from the factory floor and truly one of the best managers I’ve had in my entire career), I noticed how he would make sure I was positioned to be successful. He would explain to me what the deliverable was, why we were doing it from the company’s perspective, his confidence in me to execute it, and show me just enough to send me on my way. In short, he facilitated my success while building professional confidence in me as a young IBM engineer.

In those days, as I still do to this day, I loved the opportunity and challenge, and I dove in. When I got stuck, I asked colleagues, looked in the training manuals, and even went back to that manager. I worked very hard to avoid asking because I wanted to prove that I could do it. Then came the assignment from hell! It was a big one: the two sister plants for the computer family I was assigned to, one from Spain and one from Brazil, had their staff coming to our New York location to share best practices and handle some of the problems at hand.

The preparation was different. That manager, whom I previously gave accolades to, said he had not been involved in such work, so he asked another resource, a young professional woman who had successfully managed the conference two times in the past, for all the ins and outs. I did just that. I contacted that person and, much to my detriment, she told me that the plants would come prepared as would the IBM locations, and I pretty much just had to run the agenda. Make sure breaks were taken. The room was set up. Refreshments. Dinner that night. Very much like an administrative assistant. Then I had to sit back and learn to take notes and assimilate the plan at the end of the conference. I thought (incorrectly) that there would be no problem.

Well, that day came. An entourage of 6 to 8 people from both locations, along with a similar team from the NY facility, made up of development, production, and me, representing finance and accounting as a ‘Cost’ engineer, filled the conference room. The clock struck 8:30 after some chitchat and hors d’oeuvres, and all heads turned to me. I thought to myself, “WTF!” I had published an agenda, and the first party was not going to be there. The approach my local resource had communicated was no longer applicable, or I didn’t get the TLC in the delegation I was used to from my manager.

Thank goodness there were some veteran attendees from both locations. A professional woman said, “Here’s the way these conferences work, so we’ll do this like the last time… and at the beginning of this conference, we usually do this… run us through the issues tied to this computer model from your location and use that to set the agenda.” Once in the NY location, it used best practices to solve its issues; then the sister plants would run theirs by everyone for problem-solving. Each plant had, in the past, rotated hosting, so the host site, given the facilities' location, was the priority in problem-solving. I was so thankful for this professional woman stepping up to coach me and facilitate the group, essentially. It all worked out in the end. Later, at a banquet at the end of the week, she told me I wasn’t the first one who had fallen into this pressure cooker.

Essentially, I failed miserably. I learned a lesson there. I also learned, as a manager, never to put an employee in a situation where they are expected to perform without validating their capability, knowledge, and ability to handle it. I wasn’t professionally ready for the assignment. I needed a different kind of delegation approach in order to be successful. I also needed to be able to recognize just what I was getting into. I missed it all. Additionally, leaders need to make sure the employee really understands what’s going on and can ascertain if they do not. The direction given to my boss, who was to put me in that particular situation, and that also enabled him to provide success for me, was part of the root cause of why it was such a catastrophic experience. Effective delegation had been derailed. It seemed so obvious in retrospect, it even ‘felt’ potentially deliberate. How could that be? Regardless, I also learned that I had responsibility for understanding the deliverable as the person being delegated to. I didn’t make that mistake again in my career. Although it’s taken me time to perfect, I realized then that delegation was a complex and multi-variable process. I’m still working on perfecting delegation to this day. Sometimes I’ve come up short, and other times it’s been a game-changer in a positive way for everyone involved.

Have you had something like this happen with your staff? It happens more often than you think: Misaligned delegation, mismatch of capacity and authority, unclear purpose, and skipping the preparation; all of these sabotage the potential of delegation. The rest of this article will help you avoid that trap and turn delegation into a strategic advantage.

Why Delegation Matters For Both Leader and Employee

The Leader’s View

Effective delegation lifts leaders out of day-to-day execution and onto higher-value work. According to the leadership consultancy, 71% of leaders say they’ve experienced significantly higher stress since moving into their current role, and one of the most effective antidotes is proper delegation. According to a study, only 19% of rising leaders demonstrate strong delegation skills. Meanwhile, other research shows that CEOs who excel at delegation generate, on average, 33% more revenue than those who do not. Delegation is not a “nice to have”; it is a strategic lever.

The Employee’s View

First, you may want to stop here and find my article regarding ‘Delegation from the Employees' Perspective.’ Here is the link 👇https://www.thefitprofessional1.com/post/delegation-an-employee-s-perspective

For employees, being delegated work is a signal of trust, growth, and development. It moves them beyond mere tasks and into roles that build capability. A 1987 study on delegation for employee development found that delegation practices, including granting authority, linking tasks to larger goals, and giving meaningful challenge, are associated with higher job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Plus, leadership has the responsibility to make sure discretionary time is invested in organizational improvement efforts. Delegation is the link between executing effective strategic and tactical initiatives, business improvement, and results, and the employees' available time to drive these results. More recently, studies suggest that supervisors are told that effective delegation to develop “earnestly involves assigning responsibility and authority for outcomes, not just tasks” to employees. When employees see delegation as an opportunity rather than a burden, career trajectories brighten. Done correctly, delegation is an opportunity.

The Team and Business Impact

When done well, delegation boosts productivity, engagement, trust, innovation, and retention. Results show up. Confidence builds. A cycle of delegation creates momentum. It builds capacity within the organization, so work is not bottlenecked on a single person. For example, one article notes that leaders who delegate well report significantly lower turnover, as the team members feel empowered and valued. On the flip side, studies show poor delegation leads to overworked leaders, underutilized employees, disengagement, and stunted growth of talent.

How to Delegate Effectively: 6 Principles & Best Practices

Here are key principles, grounded in research and practice, validated by my decades of trial and error, to guide delegation in a way that supports leaders and develops their people.

1. Clarify the “why”, the “what”, and the outcomes

The first step is to explain why the work matters: its purpose, how it aligns with the organization or unit, and what success looks like. According to the Harvard Business School Online blog, effective delegation involves providing clear objectives and defining acceptable outcomes. In the story above, the gap was exactly here: I had the authority, agenda, logistics, but not the strategic context, role, responsibility, or clear conference objective. Authority wasn’t enough.

2. Choose the right task, assign to the right individual

Not every task deserves delegation. You should ask: Is this work strategic or developmental? Does the employee have the skill and capacity (or will you provide it)? One source article notes that a reason managers fail to delegate is the belief “employees cannot do the job as well as the manager can.” Delegation must stretch but not crush; challenge but not overwhelm. Leaders are responsible for identifying skill gaps and doing what it takes to fill them prior to delegation. This brings up an entirely different issue. Will the employee accept the challenge and inconvenience of what comes from learning? This discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but it needs to be addressed in the future, as this potential reason for refusal needs to be addressed in organizations.

3. Grant authority, support autonomy

Delegation is not dumping tasks; rather, it’s giving responsibility and authority. Employees should know what decisions they can make and what needs escalation. The source article states: “real delegation is assigning responsibility for outcomes along with the authority to do what is needed to produce the desired results.” We need to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Delegation to an employee who needs hand-holding, given the lack of such skills, isn’t delegation.

4. Leave room to learn and make sure there is discretionary capacity

An important yet often‐missed factor is that the employee must have discretionary time; this is the space beyond their core tasks to absorb, learn, catch up, work on the business or process or department instead of in it, and succeed by producing results outside core tasks. Without that buffer, delegation becomes a burden. A delegation guide emphasizes that tasks should “slightly challenge employees but will ensure success.” I take exception to ‘slightly challenge’, actually. When a legitimate need for delegation shows up, it shows up. Leaders must facilitate action that gets the result they want. Delegation beyond ‘slightly challenging’ requires an employee with aspirations to build skills. To me, this is the differentiator between industry leaders and organizations on the slide. Yes, don’t bury, but often organizations need much more than ‘slightly challenge.’ Can you think of an example in your organization where ‘slightly challenge’ wouldn’t cut it? Bet you can. It is important to have your team become and stay change-ready. After all, will the market wait for you that day you know is coming, the head-on challenge, to ‘slightly change?’ Hmmm. Think about that.

5. Follow-up, feedback, and recognition

Delegation isn’t abdication. The manager remains accountable and must monitor progress, provide coaching, and recognize success. Another source article on delegation with purpose underscores that managers must stay available for questions and follow-up. The more complex the task, the more formal the communication should be. Even a formal checklist can include monitoring, feedback, and post-task evaluation. The issue is that leaders will value employees who can become and stay self-reliant quickly. But this is not a ‘pass’ to ignore employees' emerging needs. This happens in my experience. Employees may start strong on a delegated task and become bogged down as they encounter skill gaps and new challenges. The point is, the leader/manager needs to facilitate the process, not just disappear and wait for the results. Have you done this as a manager? Honestly, I have, and most have at some point in their career. Why? Because the manager leader has a need. And we occasionally get employees who can take over and deliver the result in one solid delegation communication session. But this is the exception. Nonetheless, developing a team that can ‘take over’ and deliver results will be a key attribute of an industry-leading organization.

So, the goal is indeed worthy: A team that can accept delegation and run with it. Keep the faith, train, and you’ll get there!

6. Align with career aspirations and ensure willingness

Employees are more likely to engage when the work they are delegated connects to their growth and interests. Delegation thus becomes a developmental opportunity. Research on delegation decision-making found that employees may view delegated decision-making tasks as burdens when they feel misaligned or unsupported. Therefore, managers should signal that delegation is a sign of trust and growth, and invite the employee’s willingness. Stronger than ‘signal.’  State it loud and proud! I’d recommend that the concept of delegation, is part of your onboarding and orientation process and communication. State the expectation, and what the employee’s role in being ready is exactly. Then support, train, prepare; then delegate!

Bonus: Recognize that managers fear losing control

Finally, many managers struggle to delegate because of internal barriers: fear of relinquishing control, belief they will “do it faster myself,” or the dopamine hit of finishing personally.

Recognizing these biases helps overcome them. Self-reflection is a great way to overcome this. In fact, business journaling with a simple T-diagram, with pros/cons on each side of the T, can be a huge help here. Attitude plays in, too. Do you ‘hire up’ or down? Do you ‘train up’ or let employees fend for themselves? Develop a culture of continuous learning and skill development. Pack this in with an organizational mindset: ‘We hire up, we train up, and we expect our employees to be better at what they do than their managers and leaders.’ Support development authentically.

Again, the sports analogy. The Eagles won the Super Bowl last year. I don’t know, but I think it's reasonable speculation that the line coach wasn’t worried about the fact that he wasn’t coaching the quarterback.

Maybe a stretch, but the reality remains, and is proven in my experience, strong alignment is a powerful force preventing things like a manager being afraid with respect to delegation. However, I do see ‘faster myself’ repeatedly because it’s mostly true. It’s the learning curve. It takes people time to master skills. So, patience is likely a big factor limiting managers’ delegating vs. fear. The good news is that learning curves work. People get faster. Get out in front of the delegation, no delays. Give people more time to come down those learning curves. You are, in fact, training through delegation. The more you delegate, the more capable your team is, and the more likely you’ll prevail in this competitive market we're all part of.

A Revised Framework for Delegation

Here’s a serial framework you can use to enhance your delegation process or adopt:

1. Context Setup – Explain why the task matters, what the intended outcome is, and how it aligns with bigger goals.

2. Task & Person Match – Select the right work and the right person; confirm their capacity and willingness.

3. Define Responsibility + Authority – Clarify what decisions the employee can make, what support you’ll provide, what timeframe, and what checkpoints.

4. Check Discretionary Time & Skills – Make sure the employee’s core workload is under control and they have emerging capability or will be given training.

5. Launch and Monitor – Kick off with a conversation, set checkpoints, stay available, but don’t micromanage. In particular, make sure the measure’s magnitude and the resulting change expectation are communicated. Larger projects may require establishing a project-specific measure.

6. Feedback & Recognition – Debrief afterwards: what went well, what was learned, how this contributes to growth. Publicly credit the delegate-employee. Be sure to compare measures to expected values. Are plans of action required?

7. Link to Career Growth – Explicitly connect the assignment to the employee’s development path; Show how it moves them forward. This isn’t always possible, but it is applicable more than you might think.

8. Iterate and Scale – Delegate more progressively: start smaller, build success, expand scope. This builds tolerance for being change-ready.  It is not a cliché anymore; change is indeed a constant. Delegation is one avenue to your organization becoming and staying more change-ready.

Take-Away: Actions You Can Take Immediately

Here are actions you can start this week to embed strong delegation into your team culture:

• Review your to-do list: pick one task you currently do that someone else could do. Ask yourself: “Am I the best and cheapest person to do this?”

• Schedule a “delegate chat”: sit down with one direct report and ask, “What tasks or projects would you like to take on? What skills do you want to grow?”

I do caution the leader starting with ‘what would you like to do.’ You have the perspective to match what the organization needs and what might build the person’s career, so I would not start with an ask. What skills would you like to grow is a much better lead-in. However, a manager has to have a sense of their team's skill gaps. I’d recommend, ‘We need you to build this skill… and insert the business reason, and if you’re lucky, it matches the person's interests and aspirations. Beware: a focus on delegating only when the person wants to or when there is a match is limiting. You don’t want that mindset. Again, make the subject of delegation part of your onboarding process. Make it part of your culture. The questions cited are better suited for quarterly appraisals, so the leader knows the employees' favorites. Again, it is so important to make it clear, those preferences are not limiting as to what the person might be delegated.

• Build in buffer time: check each team member’s workload. Are they at full throttle? If yes, delay delegation or lighten core work so they truly have discretionary capacity.

You can determine where discretionary capacity lies by monitoring key measures. And then seeing what the employees are doing. This is not some kind of spy mission. You should be very upfront about this. Working on perfecting a role so some hours show up for other tasks is a healthy conversation and approach. Have these conversations often. Then challenge and grow the employee by delegating to fill the time.

• Craft the assignment’s context first: before handing off, document:

a)     why it matters – the business reason;

b)     what success looks like or the impact on new or existing measures;

c)     what authority they have;

d)     when checkpoints happen and to whom;

e)     what the deliverable is;

f)      by when is the task expected;

g)     and if they need assistance, who they can count on.

• Follow up and celebrate: after completion, ask the employee what they learned, what they want next, and publicly acknowledge their contribution.

Stock Photo

Celebration comes when the outcome aligns with expectations. Finishing alone should not lead to excessive celebration. However, even if they finish and miss a result, the employee will still grow as a professional. Leaders seek to identify attributes that improve and highlight them positively to employees.

• Embed delegation in onboarding/interviews: ask new hires, “Tell me about a time you were given a project you hadn’t done before and how you approached it?” Signal that taking delegated work is part of the culture. And, as stated, include the concept of delegation in your onboarding and orientation training. Make it a fundamental part of your organization's approach.

• Reflect on your mindset: notice if you’re holding onto work because “faster to do it myself” or “no one else will do it right.” Choose one item to let go of this month.

Conclusion: Delegation as Growth Engine

My story from my IBM days illustrates the dual-edge of delegation gone wrong: an eager employee ready to learn, a manager wanting to help, but without the proper structure, support, and clarity, the result was confusion, frustration, and a missed opportunity. When done right, delegation becomes a growth engine for you, your people, and your business. It frees your time to lead, builds your bench of talent, encourages initiative, and creates a culture where people raise their hands, ask for more, and feel valued.

Approach delegation with optimism: the potential is massive. When you delegate with intention, you multiply your impact. When employees accept delegated work, they grow their skills, expand their horizons, and catalyze their own careers. Make delegation a strategic conversation of “Here’s what matters, here’s your role, here’s your chance to make a positive impact toward organizational results,” not simply, “Here’s something I need off my plate.”

Don’t give ‘assignments from hell!’ Use proper delegation practice to ignite your team and be a key part of their blueprint for success. Let your employees step up. Let yourself step forward and invest your newfound discretionary time from effective delegation in organizational improvement initiatives. The result will create momentum, driving your organization forward successfully.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this blog!  You can go to my website www.thefitprofessional1.com, or if you would like to chat about how to improve delegation in your organization, leave a note there.

Bibliography

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• Lloyd, S. (2024, June 25). “Managers Must Delegate Effectively to Develop Employees.” SHRM Online. SHRM

• Johnson, E. (2025, September). “Why Aren’t I Better at Delegating?” Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review

• “How to Delegate Effectively: 9 Tips for Managers.” (2020, January 14). Harvard Business School Online Blog. Harvard Business School Online

• “Research: How to Delegate Decision-Making Strategically.” (2024, October 18). Physician Leaders. AAPL - Inspiring Change

• “The Delegation Dilemma: Why Leaders Struggle to Let Go.” (2025, September 5). MIT Sloan Executive Education Blog. MIT Executive Education

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• “Understanding Delegation.” (2024, April 1). University of Minnesota HR Supervisory Development Program. University of Minnesota Human Resources

• “6 Benefits of Delegation (+ Why Most Leaders Under-Delegate).” (2023, July 17). Your Thought Partner Blog. Your Thought Partner

• Ayres, P. (2025). Delegation: Effective Delegation from Leaders & Managers' Perspective. TheFitProfessional1, LLC.