Leaders who try to do everything eventually bottleneck the work. Delegation is the assignment of responsibility and authority to another person to carry out specific tasks.

Effective delegation matches the task to the person’s capability, provides context and constraints, and establishes checkpoints without hovering. It develops subordinates while freeing the manager for higher-value work. Poor delegation either abandons people without support or revokes authority at the first sign of trouble.

What cannot be delegated is ultimate accountability. The manager remains answerable for the outcome even when someone else performs the work. Clear delegation conversations prevent the common gap between what the manager thinks was assigned and what the subordinate understood.

• Assignment of task and authority to another
• Develops people and multiplies capacity
• Requires clarity, support, and checkpoints
• Does not transfer final accountability