Delegating can feel risky, especially when you’re short-staffed and already feeling stretched thin. Many leaders worry about loss of control, mistakes, or overburdening their team. However, failing to delegate can lead to burnout, decreased efficiency, and missed opportunities for team growth.
Here’s how to manage fear and anxiety around delegation and do it effectively—even when resources are limited.
1. Shift Your Mindset: Delegation is an Investment
Fear: “It’s faster if I do it myself.”
Solution: Instead of seeing delegation as a short-term burden, recognize it as a long-term investment that will save you time in the future. Training someone now prevents bottlenecks later.
Actionable Tip: Start small. Delegate one task at a time and gradually build trust in your team’s capabilities.
2. Prioritize What Must Be Delegated vs. What You Should Own
Fear: “What if my team is too overwhelmed?”
Solution: Identify high-impact tasks that require your expertise and those that someone else can handle with guidance.
Actionable Tip: Start with this matrix:
High skill, high priority → Keep for yourself
High skill, low priority → Train and delegate over time
Low skill, high priority → Automate or simplify
Low skill, low priority → Delegate immediately
Example: If report formatting takes hours but doesn’t require leadership input, delegate it while keeping final approval for yourself.
3. Choose the Right Person Based on Strengths & Growth Potential
Fear: “No one can do this as well as I can.”
Solution: Instead of focusing on who is the least busy, delegate to someone with the right skill set or growth potential.
Actionable Tip: When assigning tasks, consider:
Who has skills that align with this task?
Who has shown initiative and would benefit from learning this?
Who has expressed interest in growing their leadership abilities?
Example: Instead of giving admin work to a random staff member, assign it to someone eager to learn project management and gradually increase their responsibilities.
4. Set Clear Expectations & Define Success from the Start (clear and actionable)
Fear: “What if the work isn’t done correctly?”
Solution: Prevent miscommunication by clearly outlining the task, deadlines, and quality standards.
Actionable Tip: Follow the “What, Why, When, How, and Who” method:
What needs to be done? (Specific task)
Why does it matter? (Connect to the bigger picture)
When is it due? (Firm deadline)
How should it be done? (Key guidelines, resources, or check-ins)
Who needs to be involved (Point of contact for support)
Example: Instead of saying “Can you review the quarterly financial report?” say:
"Can you analyze the Q1 financial report and highlight any budget variances over 5%? Summarize key insights in a one-page briefing by Thursday at noon. Use last quarter’s format for consistency and reach out to Sarah in Finance if you need additional data."
Why this works: It removes ambiguity, aligns expectations, and ensures accountability while providing support without micromanaging.
5. Let Go of Perfectionism & Accept “Good Enough”
Fear: “They won’t do it exactly like I would.”
Solution: Accept that "done well" is better than "done perfectly by me." Delegation allows your team to develop their own effective approach.
Actionable Tip: Ask yourself:
Is 80% of my ideal outcome still a good outcome?
Does this task require my level of expertise, or is “good enough” sufficient?
Example: A team member formatting a report may not follow your exact style, but if it’s clear and accurate, it’s still effective.
6. Provide Support Without Micromanaging
Fear: “What if they make mistakes?”
Solution: Set up structured check-ins instead of hovering. Trust your team while ensuring key touchpoints for feedback.
Actionable Tip: Use the “Guide, Don’t Grab” method:
Check in early (after the first 25% of the work is done).
Ask open-ended questions: “What’s your approach? Do you need any support?”
Give autonomy to solve problems before stepping in.
Example: Instead of saying, “Let me take over this project”, ask “What challenges are you facing? What solutions have you considered?”
7. Accept That Mistakes Will Happen—And Make Them Learning Opportunities
Fear: “If they fail, it reflects badly on me.”
Solution: Reframe mistakes as coaching moments instead of failures. Every mistake is a step toward independence and team growth.
Actionable Tip: When mistakes happen:
Don’t immediately fix it yourself. Coach them and ask: “What do you think went wrong?”
Focus on problem-solving, not blame. Ask: “What could we do differently next time?”
Give constructive feedback and encourage ownership of improvement.
Example: If a staff member miscalculates loan rates, instead of correcting it silently, walk them through the process so they improve for next time.
8. Use "Micro-Delegation" to Ease Into Letting Go
Fear: “I’m afraid to give away big responsibilities.”
Solution: Start by delegating small, low-risk tasks before moving on to larger projects.
Actionable Tip: Instead of handing off an entire project, delegate one phase and review progress before assigning more responsibility.
Example: If you’re hesitant to delegate financial reporting, start by having a team member gather data, then review their summary before assigning full reports.
9. Communicate Openly with Your Team About Workload & Delegation
Fear: “My team is already overloaded—I don’t want to add more.”
Solution: Instead of assuming, ask your team about workload and capacity. Delegation should feel like an opportunity, not a burden.
Actionable Tip: In team meetings, ask:
“What are you working on that I may not be aware of?”
“Where do you feel underutilized or capable of taking on more?”
“What tasks do you want to grow in?”
Example: A team member may have extra capacity for member outreach while another is overloaded with administrative work. Rebalancing assignments benefits everyone.
10. Reframe Delegation as Leadership Development
Fear: “If I delegate too much, I won’t be needed.”
Solution: Delegation isn’t about doing less—it’s about empowering your team to grow and preparing them for leadership roles. This will give you space to work on strategic initiatives.
Actionable Tip: Regularly ask:
“Who on my team is ready for a leadership opportunity?”
“What stretch assignments can help someone build new skills?”
Example: If a team member shows interest in management, delegate a training responsibility so they gain leadership experience.
Final Thought: Delegation is a Leadership Superpower
Fear of delegation is natural, especially when you’re short-staffed. But holding on to every responsibility leads to burnout and prevents your team from growing, innovating, and supporting the credit union’s success.
Start small, delegate intentionally, and trust your team.
Mistakes are part of learning—embrace them as growth opportunities.
Strategic delegation frees you to focus on bigger leadership priorities.
Which tip will you try first?
Dima Ghawi is a catalyst for leadership transformation, guiding professionals and organizations to shatter limitations, embrace growth, and lead boldly. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential.
Ready to break the limitations that holding you back? Connect with Dima at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.
