Managers and leaders need to learn to manage their time and their team’s time so they have the time to do the things that only managers and leaders should be doing. They will burn themselves out if they continue doing their job and everyone else’s. If you are doing someone else’s job, you’ll never have enough time to do your own. You have to learn to give up control to get control. You need to learn to delegate some of your responsibilities to others on your team and resist the urge to micro-manage them. Delegation is a basic skill that distinguishes successful managers and leaders from those that aren’t. Putting out someone else’s fires is not a good use of your time.

Worth Remembering – Delegation requires the willingness to pay for short-term failures to gain long-term competencies. – Dave Ramsey.

If you’re not sure what to delegate, take a moment and compile a list of all the tasks that you perform. Once you’ve compiled your list, which ones are tasks that are sensitive in nature that only a manager or leader should be doing. Don’t pick ones just because you like doing them. After you have sorted out your priorities, find a way to delegate everything else.

Delegation steps.

1 – Identify what only you can do – confidential, final accountability.

2 – Pick the right work to delegate – repeatable, teachable.

3 – Choose the right person – fit, growth, ability.

4 – Define success – outcomes, deadlines, boundaries.

5 – Delegate authority – decisions, access information, limits.

6 – Set check-ins – milestones, follow-ups and resist the urge to micro-manage.

7 – Coach and debrief – what worked, what to improve, then repeat the steps.

Worth Remembering – If you delegate tasks, you create followers. If you delegate authority, you create leaders. – Craig Groescherl.

If you fail to delegate, you are robbing your people of their opportunity to grow. Be patient. It takes time for people to learn a new task. They will make mistakes – that’s where growth happens. It’s like riding a bike. The more they do it, the better they will get at doing it. Keep in mind that people like to put their own spin on things, so don’t get too hung up on how they are doing it – as long as it’s the end result that you are looking for. Stop putting out someone else’s fires.

Copyright 2026. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker or planning an in-person training session at your location. Brian works with people who want to communicate and interact more effectively with others, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts, or motivate people to peform at their best.

I was your typical A-type personality. You can guess what some people thought the A meant. I was a control freak. It had to be my way, or no way. I let everyone know who was in charge. When I said jump, you were only allowed to ask, ‘How high?’ I was the ‘Imtiminator.’ Does this sound familiar? Do you know of anyone who still manages or leads others this way? If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Times have certainly changed. What you need to decide now is whether the management style that got you here will be the same style that will get you and your organization to where you need to go. I changed, and you can change too.

Worth Remembering – When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frank.

C – Commit to a new beginning. If you aren’t committed to making a change, then don’t waste your time. You have to be all in or not at all.

H – Habit. Stop doing one thing and start doing another. The more you do it, the more it will become you. We are adults, and we can learn new habits. When you change the habit, you change the result.

A – Attitude. Your attitude is 100 percent in your control. You and you alone control the narrative. No one can make you do anything that you don’t want to do. Develop a Can-Do attitude.

N – Never give up. Failing is part of the learning process. You will fail in the beginning. Don’t get discouraged. Change takes time. Be patient. Hang in there.

G – Goal-oriented. Keep your eye on the prize. Don’t get distracted. Remind yourself why you need to change and what that change will do for you.

E – Energized. Motivation is inside out – never outside in. You need to hit the ground running. Be your biggest cheerleader. Celebrate your successes along the way.

Worth Remembering – Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. – Stephen Hawking.

There has been a dramatic shift in people’s attitudes. Their wants and needs are changing. Each generation communicates and interacts differently, wants to be managed differently, and has different values and career aspirations. The newest generation to enter the workforce, Gen Z, is vocal about avoiding burnout. Wellness benefits, reasonable workloads, and supportive cultures are important to them. Daniel Goleman, in his ground-breaking book – ‘Working With Emotional Intelligence,’ said it best. ‘We are being judged by a different yardstick; not just how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.’ I changed, and you can change too.

Copyright 2026. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you, or someone you know, searching for a keynote speaker for your next event, or planning a training session at your location. Brian works with people who want to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts or motivate others to perform at their best. Contact Brian to discover what he can do for you and your organizaiton.