Why Do Some Leaders Fail to Delegate?

Delegation tends to be fraught with fear of the unknown. Without saying so, many leaders hesitate to delegate simply because they fear giving up authority which they claim as theirs. One can sense a certain amount of carnality here as selfish pride wins the day. Often, however, leaders just don't know how.

Most delegatees will not perform the assigned task to the same level of competence the leader himself would have performed it. However, after exercising the responsibilities for a period of time, the level of competence will rise considerably and even approach that of the mentor. This can be both a blessing and a threat to the leader who might already be somewhat skeptical of the delegation process.

Some leaders fail to delegate because they do not want to commit the necessary time. In the initial stage, delegation takes more time than doing the task oneself. Making the assignment, issuing reminders, checking and double-checking results, possibly making some corrections, and other aspects of the delegation process tempt us to say, "I'd rather do it myself." But like planning, delegation is not an expense but an investment. Unfortunately, because the returns of the investment do not always appear immediately, discouragement can set in and lead some to forsake the process.