What should I stop doing, and delegate?
It’s a crucial question, and the answer is: what you least like doing.
Sounds irresponsible, doesn’t it? It isn’t. I’ll explain.
The coach of entrepreneurs, Dan Sullivan, developed a theory, called “Unique Ability”, of which I’m a student, and fan.
Your Unique Ability is the combination of talents, interests and capabilities that is unique to you.
Four things tell you you’re in your Unique Ability zone. When you’re doing it:
- People admire you because the results are stunning;
- You love doing it and time flies;
- It gives you energy rather than sapping it; and
- You get better at it all the time.
While Sullivan applies Unique Ability to a person’s entire life endeavour, which is good, I think the theory can be adapted for leaders who need to delegate.
I’m betting there is something in the job you do that plays to your Unique Ability. That’s the bit you love doing and are really good at.
I bet, too, that there are things you don’t like doing and are not that good at.
What you should start delegating is everything in the second category, to free you up to do more of the first.
Not necessarily all at once, but bit by bit.
The ideas above are developed further in Deep and Deliberate Delegation.