If everything depends on you, you’re doing it wrong.
That’s a hard truth for a lot of us in leadership. It was for me.
I used to think that the more I did, the more effective I was. If I could tackle it head-on, I should. I didn’t need help. I just needed more time, more energy, more caffeine.
But that mindset doesn’t scale. It doesn’t build teams. And it doesn’t lead to growth.
The Leadership Lesson That Changed Everything
I first began to understand the power of delegation when I served as the Dean of Students at a boarding school for students with learning differences. At that point in my journey, I was still trying to do everything myself. Maybe I wanted to prove something—to others or to myself.
But in that role, I was responsible for the entire student body. I oversaw multiple departments, including areas like the health clinic, where people were doing jobs I wasn’t qualified to do. I’m not a nurse, and I had no medical training. But I had to lead and support people who did.
That’s when it hit me: my job wasn’t to do everything. It was to create the environment where everyone could do their best work.
That shift changed how I approached leadership. I stopped trying to be the hero and started learning how to delegate and collaborate more intentionally.
Why Delegation Is So Difficult
Delegation isn’t natural for many of us, especially if we’re wired to take charge. It’s a skill that has to be learned, practiced, and refined.
Here are a few reasons I think leaders struggle with letting go:
- Delegation takes planning. If you’re a procrastinator (like I can be), it’s hard to hand something off last minute and expect it to go well.
- We don’t always trust our team. Not because they’re incapable, but because we haven’t learned how to truly release control.
- We believe control equals effectiveness. If we didn’t do it ourselves, it doesn’t feel like it counts.
- We wear our busy-ness like a badge. Deep down, we like being seen as irreplaceable.
These barriers keep us stuck in survival mode, doing everything ourselves—and often doing it halfway, because we’re spread too thin.
What’s the Cost of Holding On?
Here’s what I’ve learned: every time I hold on to something I could have delegated, I might be missing out on something more important.
I can’t count how many times I’ve wondered what I could have built, launched, or led if I wasn’t trying to carry it all. How many ideas never took flight because I was too busy holding the clipboard and running around tying up loose ends?
When we refuse to delegate, we don’t just limit our own growth. We hold back our team. We shrink the mission.
A Tool That Can Help: The Leadership Momentum Matrix
At Fulcra, we often use a tool called the Leadership Momentum Matrix. It helps leaders decide what to keep, what to delegate, and what to eliminate.
Here’s how it works:
- Leadership in Action
High impact, high criticality
→ These are the things only you can do. Focus here. - Leadership by Design
High impact, lower criticality
→ These are great opportunities for strategic delegation. - Leadership Through Others
Lower impact, high criticality
→ These need to happen, but not necessarily by you. Delegate with structure. - Leadership with Discipline
Low impact, low criticality
→ These might not be worth your time at all.
This tool gives leaders clarity. It takes emotion and guilt out of the equation and replaces it with logic and intentionality.
You don’t need to do less because you don’t care. You need to do less so you can lead more.
Getting Past the Guilt
Let’s be honest—sometimes the hardest part of delegation isn’t the logistics. It’s the guilt.
We don’t want to seem lazy. We don’t want others to think we’re slacking off or passing the buck. But that’s not what real delegation is.
Effective delegation increases confidence.
When you start to see how much more your team can accomplish—when you’re freed up to do what only you can do—you realize how powerful it is to lead with focus.
Delegation isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. And it’s one of the clearest signs of a healthy leader.
What Delegation Really Does
When we delegate with clarity and purpose, we make room for growth. Not just for ourselves, but for our teams and organizations.
- One person, carrying the whole load, will eventually burn out.
- Many people, working toward one shared vision, can change the world.
That’s the Fulcra way. Leadership is about leverage. It’s about recognizing what you already have and learning how to use it wisely.
Your people are your greatest asset. Don’t just lead them. Empower them.
Final Thought: It’s Time to Let Go
If you’re feeling stretched thin, it’s time to take an honest look at what’s in your hands.
What needs to be released?
What could someone else take ownership of?
What’s waiting on the other side of trust?
You can’t do it all. And you weren’t meant to.
Trust your team. Let go of the things you don’t need to carry. And start making space for the things only you can do.