Let’s be honest. How many times have you thought: “If I want this done right, I’ll just do it myself.”
We’ve all said it. Sometimes out loud, sometimes under our breath. And in the moment, it feels true. You can probably do it faster. You might do it better. But here’s the catch: every time you do it yourself, you’re teaching your team one thing—don’t bother, the boss will take over anyway.
So yes, you get the job done. But you also guarantee you’ll be stuck doing it again next week.
Why We Keep Grabbing the Work Back
Most managers don’t cling to work because they enjoy stress. It usually comes down to three things:
- Fear of mistakes. You think, “If they mess this up, it’ll land on my desk anyway.”
- Lack of trust. You’re not sure they’re ready.
- Perceived efficiency. You tell yourself, “Explaining this will take longer than just doing it.”
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. But notice what happens: the more you “just do it,” the less your people learn. And the less they learn, the more you end up doing. It’s a perfect trap.
As I wrote in The Delegation Game (beta):
“When you cling to every detail, you don’t protect quality—you prevent growth.”
The Bottleneck You Didn’t Mean to Build
Think about Mark, a department head I once coached. He wanted excellence, so he personally reviewed every single report, presentation, and proposal. At first, his team admired his eye for detail. But after a while, they stopped trying.
Why polish their work when Mark would redo it anyway?
Mark became the bottleneck. His evenings vanished. Projects slowed to his pace. And when he went on leave, the department stalled—because no one else knew how to finish without him.
Mark thought he was protecting standards. In reality, he was shrinking his team’s capacity.
Doing It Yourself Feels Faster, but…
It’s like running on a treadmill. You’re sweating, you’re moving—but you’re not actually getting anywhere.
Yes, doing it yourself is faster today. But tomorrow? Next month? Next year? You’ll still be on that treadmill, while your team is waiting on the sidelines.
Delegation is different. It’s slower at the start—like teaching someone to ride a bike. You wobble, you run alongside, you pick them up after a fall. But once they get it, they ride on their own. And suddenly, you’re not running anymore.
A Story of Letting Go (and Winning Big)
Sophia, a marketing manager, used to redo every campaign draft herself. “I can’t send sloppy work to clients,” she told me. That meant endless nights fixing slides.
One day, her director asked her: “If you’re hit by a bus tomorrow, who can run your campaigns?” That hit hard. She realized she wasn’t protecting the company—she was endangering it.
So she tried something new: instead of rewriting, she coached her team. She gave a clear “done” statement, set boundaries, and debriefed after each project.
The first few weren’t perfect. But within six months, her team was producing better results than she ever could alone.
Sophia discovered that “done right” didn’t have to mean “done my way.”
What Happens When You Finally Let Go
Here’s what shifts the moment you kick the “do it myself” habit:
- Your time opens up. You’re no longer buried in details—you can finally think big picture.
- Quality compounds. Ten brains grow faster than one. Your team starts improving work together.
- People grow. They stop waiting for your rescue and start owning outcomes.
The result? You get better results and a stronger team.
The Shift That Matters
Doing it yourself may feel faster, but it keeps you small. Delegating feels slower at first, but it grows everyone—including you.
Your job isn’t to be the best doer. It’s to build the people who can do it without you.
Your Turn
Next time you hear yourself thinking, “I’ll just do it myself,” pause.
Ask:
- “If I delegate this today, how will it save me time tomorrow?”
- “What will my team never learn if I keep this?”
- “What safety net can I put in place so they can succeed without me?”
Then delegate it anyway. Even if it’s imperfect. Because every imperfect attempt is one step closer to independence.
What’s Next in the Delegation Game
Breaking the “do it myself” syndrome is hard—but once you do, you’ll see delegation differently. It’s not losing control. It’s gaining freedom.
In the next article, we’ll dive into how shifting from a parent–child relationship to an adult–adult relationship changes the way you delegate—and how it transforms the way your team sees themselves.
Delegation isn’t just about getting work done. It’s about getting people ready. And that only happens when you finally let go.
👉 I help leaders design strategies that work. As author of The Delegation Game, I equip managers with tools to lead, delegate, and deliver results that last.
