THE IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATING LEADERSHIP DUTIES

Essential leadership duties

Delegating leadership duties helps you create a high-performing team that can tackle major issues and get results, as well as grow a profitable, sustainable business. This is especially important when businesses have to deal with multiple stakeholders and greater competition, as well as the integration of technology into the workplace. Businesses need multiple leaders who possess the skills and abilities required to get the job done successfully.

Before you delegate leadership duties, here’s a look at the essential duties of a leader:

• Building trust by having your teamwork on a project together and assigning tasks to each person that are within their capabilities, or by encouraging your team to eat lunch together. This’ll help your team get to know you and each other and develop trust.
• Creating a shared vision by letting your team know what the organisation’s goals are and what they must do together to achieve those goals. This’ll ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
• Executing a strategy all the way through to completion, with and through others, using disciplined processes.
• Creating accountability by assigning tasks that take into account the skills and tools each person has to get the job done. If someone performs more poorly than what you expect from them, you can hold them accountable.
• Coaching your team by discussing work progress and giving them feedback. This’ll help you improve your team’s work performance, solve problems, and achieve the results you expect.

The benefits of delegating leadership duties

Delegating leadership duties provides a range of benefits for your organisation, such as:

1. Sharing responsibility

By allowing your team to take on responsibilities, like taking ownership of their work and holding themselves accountable for the quality and timeliness of their work, it’ll motivate them to get things done. What’s more, you’ll spend less time directing your team’s projects and instead have more time focusing on the bigger picture, which is achieving the company’s goals.

2. Creation of more ideas

Holding meetings where every member of your team can voice their thoughts and opinions about their work or the organisation as a whole can help generate more ideas. The best ideas often come from those working at the ground level, so allowing your team to share new ideas is beneficial for your business.

3. Increases team performance

Each member of your team will have skills, knowledge, and experience that no one else has. When leadership is shared among them, they’ll all act as leaders and followers at different times. As a result, shared leadership allows your team to leverage the expertise of each member at different times and in different ways, boosting team performance.

4. Creates team bonds

When your team works together on a project and each person takes turns leading others, this’ll help create bonds of interdependence and your team may end up favouring teamwork. Instead of solely depending on you to lead them and assign them tasks, they’ll also rely on others, bringing everyone closer together.

5. Promotes commitment and satisfaction

Letting your team members take on the duties of a leader, such as creating and executing a vision and strategy, will promote committed behaviour. Plus, when considering a mission greater than themselves, they’ll feel empowered to bring out their best. Giving your team the freedom and ability to speak out during shared leadership activities will also increase employee satisfaction and identification with the company.

6. Desire business growth

When business goals are achieved through shared leadership, your team will recognise each person’s contribution to that success, which could make them actively desire growth for the organisation. This is very important as it could lead to greater success not only for the business, but also for you and your team.

How to share/delegate leadership duties

Here are some ways you can share/delegate leadership duties to your team:

• Get your team to share new ideas.
• Allow your team to implement necessary changes.
• Let your team make decisions on their own.
• Allow your team to delegate tasks and hold each other accountable.
• Create a climate in which your team feels free to take the initiative on assignments.
• Give power to the most qualified members in order to strengthen their capabilities.
• Give qualified members discretion and autonomy over their tasks and resources and encourage them to use the tools at their disposal.
• Think of yourself as a resource or cheerleader rather than the manager or boss.
• Empower your team to challenge and question the status quo.
• Trust your team’s judgement and expertise.
• Appreciate the effort your team gives, the energy they invest in a project, and the risk they take by leading.
• Let members of your team contribute what they do best, whether it’s dealing with technology or partnerships.

Ultimately, delegating leadership duties effectively requires understanding and utilising various leadership styles in management to ensure that tasks are assigned to the right team member and the team functions efficiently.

Empower your employees to become leaders with DeakinCo.

Shared leadership will bring a plethora of benefits to your workplace, so follow these tips and start delegating leadership duties today. Your business will reap the rewards in no time.

Creating an environment where employees feel empowered is essential for improving business success. You can continue to improve your team’s learning and development with the solutions offered by DeakinCo. Contact us today for more information.