Module 13 · Leadership & people management · Lesson 3 of 12

Delegation

Handing over the outcome, not just the task — with the context and authority to match.

7 min read · Level: Practising · Free — no account needed to read

The idea

Delegation means handing over an outcome, not just a task: “Please organise the venue — you choose, within this budget, by Friday” rather than a list of steps. It includes the context (why it matters), the authority to decide, and the resources to do it.

Good delegation also matches the level of support to the person’s experience with the task — more check-ins for something new, fewer for something familiar. It is neither micromanaging nor abandoning.

Why it matters

Delegation lets leaders focus on what only they can do and lets others grow. Poor delegation frustrates everyone.

See it happen

Rakibul asks a junior colleague to write a report, then rewrites it entirely himself.

The first reaction

He thinks it is faster to fix it than to explain what he wanted.

With the idea

Next time he explains the purpose and audience, shares an example, and checks in halfway. The report needs only small edits, and his colleague learns.

What changed

Handing over context and a check-in turned delegation into development.

Easy to get wrong

• Delegating a task without explaining why it matters.
• Taking work back at the first difficulty instead of coaching.

Different perspectives

Reasonable people disagree here. None of these is presented as the answer.

Delegation is a manager’s core job

Grove argues a manager’s output is the team’s output, so helping others do work well is more valuable than doing it yourself.

Context changes the advice

Critics note Grove wrote for a large company; in small teams or volunteer groups, delegation looks more informal and relationships matter more than systems.

Where this comes from: Andrew Grove — High Output Management (1983).

Try it now: Delegate an outcome

1. Pick a task you usually do yourself.
2. Write it as an outcome with context, authority and a deadline.
3. Decide how often you will check in.

Questions to think about

• What do you hold on to that someone else could learn to do?
• When has someone delegated to you well, and what did they do?

Your challenge this week

Delegate one outcome this week, with context and one check-in.