The Art of Letting Go: How Sharing the Load Makes You a Better Leader
I'll never forget sitting in my charity office at 8pm, surrounded by half-finished training packs desperately trying to get them together for the next day. My desk lamp cast the only light in the building as everyone else had long gone home. The frustrating thing was, I hadn't planned poorly, I'd set the whole day aside, but somehow it had been eaten up by other work which was 'urgent'.
That moment crystallized something I'd been feeling for months: I was drowning in work that, if I'm brutally honest, didn't all need to be done by me. I was so used to saying yes, to dropping everything if someone needed something, that I'd lost sight of what I should really be doing. I was so busy having everyone's back, but who had mine?
As charity leaders, we're drawn to our work because we care deeply. We're passionate about making a difference. But this same commitment that brings us to the sector can become the very thing that limits our impact when we can't let go of tasks that others could—and should—be doing.
The great paradox of leadership is that the more we hold onto, the less we achieve. When everything must flow through us, we create bottlenecks that slow progress, exhaust our energy, and prevent others from developing their capabilities.
Understanding Your Barriers To Delegation
If delegation feels uncomfortable, you're not alone. In my work with charity CEOs, I've seen how psychological barriers often trump practical ones:
"No one else will do it properly." This perfectionism trap is particularly potent in mission-driven work where standards feel non-negotiable. When your charity's impact directly affects vulnerable people, the stakes feel too high to risk someone else doing it differently—or worse, doing it wrong.
"It'll take longer to explain than to just do it myself." The short-term efficiency of doing it yourself creates long-term inefficiency across your organisation as knowledge remains bottlenecked with you.
"This is what I'm good at—it's why I'm here." Many of us rose to leadership because we excelled at operational tasks. Our identity and sense of value became wrapped up in being the problem-solver, the one who helps. Letting go can feel like surrendering a core part of who we are at work.
"My team is already stretched too thin." You feel like you're looking out for your team, and dread the guilt of asking them to do something else but ultimately robs team members of opportunities to learn & develop whilst keeping you stuck in quicksand.
Achieving More by Sharing the Work
Effective delegation isn't about dumping unwanted tasks (or being lazy) —it's about intentionally increasing your impact:
Start by imagining your work in three buckets:
Only You: Tasks that genuinely require your unique authority or expertise
Development Opportunities: Tasks that could develop someone else's capabilities
Misaligned Work: Tasks that neither require you nor develop others
The highest-value delegation happens in that second bucket. Look for tasks that: • You're comfortable with but someone else could learn from • Match someone's career development aspirations • Would benefit from fresh perspectives or approaches
The most powerful delegation isn't just about clearing your plate—it's about thoughtfully matching tasks with development needs and creating growth opportunities that benefit everyone. It doesn't just enable you to work more effectively & have greater impact; it enables you to start succession planning – because lets' get real, you don't want to do this job forever.
Building Trust Through Effective Delegation
The mechanics of delegation matter tremendously. I've seen brilliant charity leaders fail at delegation not because they chose the wrong tasks, but because their approach undermined success:
Set others up for success through thorough preparation:
Clarify the exact outcome needed, not just the process
Explain why the task matters in the bigger picture
Provide appropriate context and background
Define constraints and boundaries clearly
Communicate in ways that empower rather than abandon:
Ask what support they'll need rather than assuming
Discuss potential challenges before they arise (and ask how they might prepare)
Establish check-in points that provide safety without micromanagement
Be explicit about your availability for questions
Build capability through intentional feedback:
Celebrate progress and small victories along the way
Provide specific, constructive feedback which enables them to learn
Focus on outcomes first, methods second (they'll have their own ideas!)
Create reflection opportunities that solidify learning
From Holding On to Letting Go
The truth is that letting go isn't just good for your organisation—it's essential for your wellbeing and effectiveness as a leader. Every task you appropriately delegate creates space for the strategic thinking, relationship building, and big-picture planning that only you can do.
Try this simple delegation experiment: This week, identify just one recurring task that fits in your "Development Opportunities" bucket. Prepare thoroughly, delegate it explicitly, and then—this is the hardest part—resist the urge to jump back in unless absolutely necessary.
Notice not just the time created, but how delegation shifts your leadership focus from doing to enabling. That shift doesn't diminish your impact—it multiplies it across your entire organisation.
After all, your greatest legacy as a leader won't be what you personally accomplished, but what you enabled others to achieve.