You feel good when you say, “I delegated that.” The report is on someone else’s desk. The client call is on someone else’s calendar. The spreadsheet is in someone else’s hands.
But let’s be honest. If you’re still checking, correcting, or even redoing the work—did you really delegate it? Or did you just lend it out for a while?
This is the trap many managers fall into. They confuse assigning tasks with delegation. On the surface, it looks like progress. Underneath, it’s still their work, their stress, their bottleneck.
In The Delegation Game, we called this the “illusion of delegation”:
“You can assign as many tasks as you want, but until someone else owns the outcome, you still own the problem.”
Why Managers Stop Short
Most leaders genuinely want to delegate. They want more time to lead, coach, and strategize. But what usually happens is something like this:
- They assign a task without clarity.
- They hover because they don’t trust it will be done “right.”
- They take it back the moment it wobbles.
This cycle creates frustration for both sides. The manager feels stuck, the team feels disempowered, and the organization slows down.
The unspoken fear is this: If I let go completely, what if it fails?
So leaders play it safe. They lend their work but never let go of the rope.
The Story of the Borrowed Task
Take Jon, for example. He assigned a junior staff member to draft a proposal. On paper, he delegated.
But he never said what the final proposal should achieve. He didn’t share the budget limits or the client’s priorities. He didn’t give authority to negotiate or even ask questions directly.
So what happened?
- The staff member submitted a half-formed draft.
- Jon had to rewrite it from scratch.
- The deadline was barely met.
The employee felt useless. Jon felt exhausted. And the client felt the difference.
That’s not delegation. That’s task-lending.
The Consequence of Stagnation
When leaders only lend their work, two things happen:
- The team stagnates. People become executors, not owners. They follow orders but never develop initiative.
- The leader becomes the bottleneck. Every decision, every detail, every direction flows back to the manager. Growth slows, mistakes multiply, and morale drops.
Over time, this isn’t just tiring—it’s dangerous. Teams built on task-lending never learn to fly on their own. And when the manager is absent, the whole system collapses.
The Turnaround
Now picture Lea. She was determined not to make Jon’s mistake.
When she handed a new project to her senior analyst, she didn’t just say, “Make a plan.”
She sat down and defined the result: “This project is done when we have three vendor options, compared on cost, reliability, and delivery time, summarized in a two-page brief.”
Then she transferred ownership: “You’re responsible for this outcome. You’ll have access to the budget file, and you can reach out to vendors directly. I’ll check in next Friday for a status update.”
The analyst knew exactly what success looked like, had the tools to pursue it, and the authority to make it happen.
The difference? Lea didn’t just hand over a task. She handed over responsibility. And in doing so, she created space for herself to focus on strategy while her analyst grew in capability.
That’s what real delegation looks like.
Give Ownership
Assigning tasks is giving work. Delegation is giving ownership.
That difference sounds small, but it changes everything:
- In task-lending, the manager still owns the problem.
- In delegation, the team member owns the result.
When people own results, they:
- Think ahead instead of waiting for instructions.
- Solve problems before they reach your desk.
- Feel pride in their contribution, not just relief that the task is done.
And when managers delegate properly, they finally have space to breathe, think, and lead at the level they were hired to.
What’s at Stake
If you continue assigning tasks instead of delegating outcomes, here’s what you risk:
- A frustrated team that feels like they never grow.
- Your own exhaustion, because the work always boomerangs back.
- Stalled growth, because you’re busy maintaining instead of multiplying.
As The Delegation Game warns:
“When you lend your work, you borrow time from your future. You save an hour today but lose a week tomorrow.”
Delegate Outcomes
To delegate outcomes, not tasks, try this three-step habit:
- Define “done” in one line. Example: “This task is done when the client signs off on a two-page proposal with three clear options.”
- Transfer responsibility. Say: “This is yours. You have the tools, the authority, and the space to make it happen.”
- Step back but stay connected. Agree on check-ins so you’re aligned without hovering.
This small change turns delegation from frustration into freedom—for you and your team.
Your Next Move
Pick one task you normally “lend” out. Rewrite it into an ownership statement. For example:
- Instead of: “Draft the agenda.”
- Say: “Own the meeting prep. Success means we start on time with an agenda that covers X, Y, Z, and all materials are distributed 24 hours before.”
Notice how the responsibility shifts. Notice how your people respond.
Where We Go Next
This is just one piece of the Delegation Game. To go deeper, watch for the next articles in the series:
- Step 1: Define the Result – The “Done” Statement.
- Step 3: Set Boundaries – The Rules of the Game.
- Stop Reverse Delegation: Keep the Task with the Owner.
You don’t need to carry every task. You don’t need to be the bottleneck.
You can hand over ownership—and finally step into real leadership.
👉 I guide leaders to move beyond plans into practice. My book, The Delegation Game, and my consulting work help managers align strategy, people, and culture.
