More Resources to Support Your 'Rockstar' Leadership Career
Are you a high-expectations leader, who gets frustrated by people around you turning up but not switching on?
My guess is you are busy. Really, really busy. Probably stressed and not sure where the hours go each day. Forget about 'working-on-the-business' that's something you do on the weekends!
I've heard tales of frustration like this so many times from the leaders I work with.
There is one quick solution. But, you may not like it!
STOP SEEING YOURSELF AS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE!
I'd be a wealthy woman if you gave me $10 ($1 isn't enough lol!) for every person who has said something like, "It's quicker and easier if I do this myself!"
And I get it. I've been guilty of that some thinking myself. Just as you likely have too.
Be careful! The "It's quicker and easier to do it myself" mindset is profit reducing and career limiting. Sure in the short-term it is probably true, you can get it done quicker and faster.
Don't be the Single Point of Failure
You become the single point of failure when no-one else knows how to do what you do, or do it as well as you do. When you're the single point of failure, you aren't doing the right thing by the company.
Not only that you're stopping the growth and development of your people. Which means you won't have a strong bench for the future.
It is your role as a leader is to have the business running in a way that is sustainable over the long-term.
If you don't get this right, you'll stay trapped in that fed-up, stressed-out, overworked cage. Complaining of overwork and lack of time to get anything done well.
If your hourly rate is $200 and your team member's is $75, and you are making decisions or performing tasks that he or she could be doing ... then that's theft – pure and simple! Sure it's hidden, but it is the same as you taking a 3-hour lunch break instead of a 1 hour.
If you are performing a task that someone at a lower level of pay could be performing ... then you are not value-adding to your organization - you are stealing!
You're in a leadership role because your more senior leadership team sees potential in you. Potential to lead at a higher level. In fact, your title doesn't say, for example:
Marketing Doer, or People & Culture Doer.
It more likely says Finance Leader, or Manufacturing Leader.
Best start using your potential to lead at a higher level right!
Jack Welch didn't become the CEO of General Electric by staying a doer. He let go of making decisions at an Engineer level.
Richard Branson lives a remarkable lifestyle because he is a master delegator.
Be like Jack. Be like Richard.
Identify Activities to Hand-Off. Then, Create Systems That Ensure That the Activities Get Done, Done Well, Done On Time!
It's time to start looking for, "What are the decisions, the activities, the tasks that I could be handing off?" If the next activity you are about to do, could be done by someone on a lower wage, then stop. Create a system and teach someone how to do it.
Ask yourself this winner's question: Would I pay someone $200/hour to do this task/make this decision? If not, then create a system and delegate it to someone on your team
Do this often enough, and you'll be earning more, and with a lot less stress in your life.
So you have a decision to make.
Are you ready to step up and create a more remarkable life for yourself and your people?
Your alternative is to stay stuck in the doing, doing world. The place where you are:
Great success is around the corner, and it comes from taking baby steps. Look closely at how you operate and ask yourself, "Is this what I want to be doing, is this how I want to be leading and living for the next 5-10 years?" If the answer is no, then start taking those baby steps. Start making decisions to do things differently.
Use the 4Bs of High-Performance to Inspire You to Become a Master Delegator
Your decision, to be a master delegator and systems-creator, impacts all four elements of the 4Bs of the high-performance framework.
Believing
Team members need to believe that they are in the right role and the right organization, with the right leader.
Making decisions, and contributing at higher levels, affirms that they and their job matters. You firm up the belief that they make a difference in the business.
Belonging
As you delegate more, your people will know that you trust them. Trust is a crucial element in building a community, building a team.
The more you trust your team members, the more they'll trust you. So, when it comes time to make organisational changes you'll find it easier to influence people.
Behaving
Remarkable leaders influence team members to have a business-partner mindset rather than an employee mindset. Delegating real work down to your team members engages them to think and behave at higher levels.
Bottom-line
You'll increase profits, improve productivity and lower stress for yourself and your team as you each use more of your potential.
Want to find out more about becoming a master delegator?
Access the Get it Done, Done Well, Done On Time Training.
Or, if you need some coaching around delegation and mindset, then book an introductory coaching call with me