this done by someone else. These managers use roughly two-thirds of their time for
purely operational business – an alarming balance that leaves precious little time for
strategy in their daily work. (seeFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, August 18, 2003.)
Operational work must neither take precedence over visionary planning nor
block the view from the ship’s bridge. Matters that are really important must be
attended to or decided on by the leader himself or herself. Projects, tasks and
appointments that are urgent but not important can be easily delegated to
employees. The same is true for tasks that are standardized or can be better handled
by others. And everything that after a bit of reflection proves to be neither important
nor urgent should get thrown in the trash. Those who set clear priorities will find it
easier to make these distinctions, saving a great deal of time and energy; they
neither waste time on irrelevant matters nor trouble their consciences by worrying
about tasks they constantly put off because they lack the time to complete them.
Those who cannot delegate effectively cannot lead effectively. Leaders are not
paid to do everything themselves. It is their job to make qualified decisions and to
make sure that all tasks are performed by the appropriate level in the hierarchy.
Delegating is an instrument of leadership that ensures that tasks are completed on
time and in the agreed-upon quality and quantity, efficiently making best use of all
resources. However, delegating is not intended to allow leaders to avoid tasks they
don’t like by treating their employees as lackeys.
The golden rules of delegation can be expressed in five questions:
- What needs to be done? The reason for the task and the description need to be
clear. - Who is responsible? The responsibility needs to be precisely defined and include
the corresponding authorizations. - Why does the task need to be performed? The background and the importance of
the task in the broader context should be explained. - How should the task be performed? The decision as to how to complete the task
should generally be left up to the employee; it should only be defined in advance
if absolutely necessary. - When should the task be completed? Solid and realistic dates for tasks and sub-
tasks, including a buffer, should be provided. The leader also delegates the
necessary authorizations/authority, information and responsibility. Leadership
and supervision remain the responsibility of the leader.
Delegating has a number of advantages: the leader has free capacities for other
tasks. The knowledge, experience, skills and potentials of the employees are put to
better use. The employees improve; the number of people solving problems
increases; employee satisfaction increases; their willingness to take responsibility,
attention to quality, and personal commitment are all supported.
Why do so many leaders delegate so rarely? Mainly because they are afraid of
losing control, because they are convinced of their own indispensability, or they
lack trust in their employees or fear competition; or it could be out of habit, due
to a lack of perspective, or because of their secretiveness.
3.2 Leading with Your Head and Heart 149