Tell me about the last time you had to delegate a job to someone.

"I was halfway through a project when I started to feel ill. It was terrible timing, and I wanted to see the work through, as I always do, but my supervisor told me to pass the project on to a trusted coworker and to go home and rest. So, I spent as much time as I could explaining the nature of the work, why it was important, and what the stakes were. I then explained my approach, what I'd accomplished so far, and what still needed to be accomplished. I then asked them to mirror back to me what I'd explained. There were a couple of minor points that needed clarification. Next, I opened myself up for questions, answered them, and we felt confident we were on the same page. I went home, and the work got done with flying stars. Even better, my coworker learned something new and advanced their skills."

For many, delegating is one of the most challenging aspects of effective leadership to master. It goes beyond assigning tasks catered to the strengths of the right people or micromanaging their every move. The most important aspect of delegating is the details and effectively communicating those details. Telling someone what to do is not even half of the equation. Explaining why each delegated task is necessary, how it impacts the efforts of everyone else on the team, and what the assembled big picture looks like is just as important. If you can do that, there is no need to micromanage, as each member of the team is now an invested stakeholder in the outcome of the group effort.