The New Times recently published an article of mine on one of the toughest skills leaders must master: effective delegation. It’s a topic that never fails to spark spirited debate in any boardroom. Seasoned executives often wave it off as a sign of disengagement, a soft skill that lazy managers use to shirk responsibility, while “real” leaders, they insist, lead from the front.
Delegation isn’t just about freeing up time. It’s about unlocking the full
value of the people you’ve already hired. Every decision you keep for yourself carries
an opportunity cost. And there is nothing soft about delegation. If you have built
your career on your own wits and hard work, handing someone else the power to
embarrass you can feel terrifying. But
without it, your team will slow to the speed it takes you to do everyone else’s
jobs for them. That drag has real financial consequences:
- You’ll be too busy to spot the risks and opportunities that only you can see.
- Middle managers will pause for approval while faster competitors win the business.
- Promising employees will disengage while waiting for instructions.
The issue usually isn’t capability, it’s clarity. People don’t know which decisions are theirs, or what success looks like. So they play it safe. When that happens, initiative dies. Bottlenecks multiply. The organisation slows to a crawl - not because people aren’t capable, but because leadership hasn’t created the space for them to move.
Why it matters now
We’re in the final quarter - when leadership systems get stress-tested. Projects collide, deadlines compress, and key people start thinking about what’s next.
If delegation is weak, you’ll feel it now: missed handovers, overloaded leaders, and the quiet frustration of good people who could be doing more. Fixing delegation now can prevent year-end drag and give you a head start for next year, with teams that move without being pushed.
A practical way to start
I’ve put together a short Delegation Checklist for leaders who want to test how clearly they’re empowering others.
It’s based on what we’ve learned working with Rwandan and regional leadership teams over the past year. It’s simple, reflective, and ready to use.
A preview:
- Have I defined what success looks like – in outcomes, not steps?
- Do my team members know when to involve me – and when not to?
- Have I rewarded initiative, or unintentionally discouraged it through rework?
Small questions like these reveal a lot about the systems, and mindsets, shaping our teams.
You can download the checklist and use it with your team before your next project or
handover here:
20251016-TES-Delegation-Checklist.pdf
Join the conversation on 29 October
We’ll be exploring delegation and related topics at an upcoming HR Professionals Peer Learning Event at the Four Points Hotel on 29 October on Increasing Employee’s Job Ownership. This is a practical training session that will help senior HR leaders embed the skills and systems to realise the full potential of staff. More details and registration details are available here.
Masaka Farms Hosts third TES leadership workshop
On October 7th, the Masaka Farms leadership team invited TES to deliver a workshop on tough discussions. As Luke Lundberg their CEO notes: “Over the past six months, Transforming Engagements has led a series of leadership trainings for Masaka Farms during a time of rapid growth and change. Christian Sellars is one of the most effective trainers we’ve worked with in Rwanda; practical, engaging, and deeply insightful. Our team always leaves with more than just ideas; they leave with clarity on how to act. The sessions are hands-on, realistic, and tailored to the challenges we face every day. TES has become a trusted partner in helping our leadership team build alignment, confidence, and shared purpose.