The Power of Letting Go (Delegation)

At Prism Coaching, we often hear high-performing professionals say, “It’s just easier if I do it myself.”  While that might feel true in the short term, it’s a mindset that ultimately limits both personal growth and team potential.

You may struggle to delegate for many reasons, but the most common reasons include:

• Perfectionism - wanting the work done “right” versus "good enough"

• Martyrdom - believing that taking on the workload protects your subordinates and teammates

• Promotion - needing to constantly "do" to add value and be seen as key player

  
  

But here’s the truth: holding onto every task keeps you buried in the weeds and away from the strategic, high-impact work only you can do. Meanwhile, your team misses out on opportunities to stretch and grow.

Rather than limit your team, reframe delegation from the process of "not doing" to the process of actively mentoring and developing others. By delegating, you're establishing trust, building confidence, strengthening communication, and creating a culture of accountability.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you're ready to delegate:

• Is this task something that only I am uniquely qualified to do by regulation, licensure, or policy? If not, consider delegating.

• Is this the absolute best use of my time? If a task needs to be done, but not necessarily by me, then I should delegate it so that I can refocus on strategic leadership tasks.

• Which team members are ready to take on more? The upfront cost to training will pay back dividends at the organizational level by preparing new leaders.

  
  

If it sounds like you might be holding on to some tasks and taking on more than you have to, coaching can help you develop delegation skills. Coaching can help you define the outcome, transfer ownership (smoothly and without watered-down responsibility), and setting up important goals, metrics, and accountability structures.

When you delegate well, your time is returned to you. You have more energy to focus on what matters most, your team becomes more capable and confident, and your organization as a whole improves (by some estimates up to 48 %).

If you're ready to lead with more impact by letting go of what’s holding you back, let's talk. Together, we’ll build the systems and mindset to help you thrive.