Why It's So Hard to Delegate - and How to Improve

"So Adi, one thing that I think almost every leader struggles with is delegation, particularly if you have risen through the ranks because you have been a star performer in your field, a producer, someone who gets things done, it can feel really weird to start outsourcing that work, not even rote tasks, but also decision-making to others. Yeah, we've written about this before and it's absolutely key. First of all, nobody wants to work for a micromanager."

"Secondly, you can't do it all. And I'm probably not a great delegator. There are things that I feel very strongly about the process, the way I do things. It's hard for me to give that up. It's hard for me to imagine that somebody else could do it as effectively and efficiently. So I'm not great in this area."

"Yeah, I definitely identify with that. I think that I derive a lot of my self-worth and positivity about work in the things that I do really well, and I want to keep doing them and don't want to hand them off. And that is one of the reasons that our guest today points to as to why so many people struggle with delegation."

Delegation proves difficult for many leaders, especially those promoted from high-performing individual contributor roles. Leaders often feel uncomfortable outsourcing core tasks and decision-making. Micromanagement frustrates employees and limits organizational capacity. Leaders may retain tasks tied to personal competence, identity, or self-worth, making it hard to relinquish control. Difficulty trusting others’ ability to match efficiency and quality reinforces retention of responsibilities. Holding onto tasks prevents focus on higher-order priorities and strategic work. Effective delegation requires releasing control of nonessential tasks to empower teams and free leaders to concentrate on what matters most.

Read at Harvard Business Review