What Is Delegating Leadership? Here Are Some Helpful Tips
Organizations or businesses can follow different leadership styles to delegate tasks or complete projects. More so, different organizations follow different leadership approaches to build a culture within the organization. Delegating leadership style is one of those leadership styles many organizations follow.
This leadership style allows a manager to delegate both authority and responsibilities to certain trusted individuals. Then the trusted individuals are expected to fulfill their assigned duties before a deadline.
Here is all you need to know about delegating leadership style.
What Is Delegating Leadership Style?
Delegating leadership style is a way of delegating authority and responsibility to multiple leaders within an organization. It is a low-risk task-based, and relationship-oriented leadership style where the individual can exercise autonomy.
This approach to leadership entails showing an individual the bigger picture of the organization and sharing responsibilities associated with the same. When an individual is entrusted with the vision and the responsibilities, they are expected to deliver a result they agreed upon.
However, this leadership style is effective with individuals with both the confidence and the competence to carry out the required task. In such cases, even a moderate level of input from leaders can be seen as a lack of trust. As a result, it can cause regression in their motivation and their task-related skills.
Key Takeaways
- The leader turns over control
- They provide the big picture
- Individuals have the authority to make decisions related to the tasks.
- The leader monitors the activities of the team.
- Monitor activities.
- Remaining accessible.
- Reinforcing results.
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When Does An Organization Use Delegating Leadership Style?
An organization can use delegating leadership style under specific circumstances. But first, they need to have complete trust in the individual performers they are delegating responsibilities to. Here are different circumstances such as –
- The individual performers need to perform their regular tasks at a high standard and with optimum potential.
- The performing individuals must be autonomous performers. They should be able to perform without the interventions of their team leaders or mentors.
- The individuals must enjoy performing their tasks and be committed to their work.
- Individuals are assigned authority and res helicopter leadership approach. It allows them to watch every little detail or step of their team and their approach. They literally hold their teammate’s hands and guide them step-by-step.
The delegating leadership approach allows the leader to have a laid-back approach and allows them to trust their subordinates. However, if the subordinates were also to feel laid back, then it would be a problem. However, a leader must know that they are not delegating leaders if they are holding their subordinates’ hands each step of the way.
A great way to exercise this type of leadership style is through –
- First, assign responsibilities to team members expecting them to fulfill them.
- Then evaluate if they have accomplished it or if they need to do it.
Setting Deadlines
As a delegating team leader, you must set deadlines for the team. It is best to set up point A and point B and allow the teammates to complete the task as they find it suitable. But here are some tips you can follow –
- First, make a schedule for the teammates to follow.
- You can also provide them with responsibilities to share good and bad news alike.
- They are aware of their task-related competencies.
Tips For Effective Delegation
How to delegate tasks among different team leads? How to make it perfect to avoid complexities within the team?
Here are different tips for making delegating leadership style an effective one.
Ensure That The Team Is Ready For The Responsibility
One of the best parts of delegating leadership style is the ability to understand that everyone in the team knows their responsibilities. They should also be able to make their own decisions.
- There are some leaders who believe in the visual spreadsheet as a checklist. They can check the boxes when they have accomplished the tasks.
- Also, you can set up reminders for them. They will probably adjust their time and finish their work with little adjustment from you.
Explain Everything You Can Right Away
A clear explanation is necessary for delegating leadership style. When you are leading a team and delegating responsibilities among different individuals, you cannot expect them to know everything right away. As a leader, you must explain what you expect from them and provide them with a clear explanation of their duties.
A leader must explain what you expect from the project the team is working on. This will help them use their abilities and their time to their fullest potential. When they understand your expectations and vision, it will add fuel to their will to complete the project within due time.
Here are things you can do –
- Prepare a list of things you can provide them regarding the project.
- Provide them with links that can help them.
- Also, give your team the key terms and conditions they should follow while carrying it out.
Keep An Open Mind
Yes, you are the leader, and you have delegated the duties to them and have a laid-back approach. However, your team should not forget that you, too, are an active part of the team. You should keep an open door and be open-minded so that they can come to you for solutions should the problems arise.
- You can keep your team informed if they need any assistance. They can count on you anytime.
- Creating an open-door policy is a very good idea.
- Also, they might not always have an idea of their task and what they are doing. But you might be able to point out a problem.
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Bottom Line
However, delegating leadership style will not be effective if the team manager does not check the progress of their team from time to time. If the team manager also takes a laid-back approach to handling everything, then the whole project might become futile.
However, with little intervention but minor assistance from the team lead, autonomous team members will be able to finish the projects making the leadership approach successful.
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