The biggest question about delegation is why do you do it?
- Is it because you don’t have the time?
- Do you think you are not smart enough?
- Is it because that it is what you were taught in school?
There are people out there who inspire you. Not because they are perfect but because they have gone through so much but they still cling to their dreams, and they still strive to get better. They mentor you by their words, and they try to teach you not to make the same mistakes they made.
Today I got the newsletter from Tony Gaskins and it was an interesting read. Unfortunately I cannot find the article on his website so that I can provide the link so I will copy all of it here. Some interesting thoughts challenging what we have been taught about delegation and not being the smartest person in our cirles.
Do what you know..
you can’t control anything else..
We’ve always been told that if you’re the smartest in your circle then you’re in the wrong circle. Well guess what, when someone in your circle knows more than you how do you know if they are misleading you or using you? Everyday I see millionaires go broke because they had someone “smarter” than them controlling their money. I see personal brands get ruined because they had a “smart guy” calling the shots.
I’ve always had a different approach. If I don’t understand it, I don’t implement it. If I implement a system that makes sense to someone else but not me, I lose control of my destiny. I have to be in control of my destiny. If I fail, it has to be because of my doing, not someone else’s. No one will ever have access to any of my bank accounts because if I’m going to go broke it will have to be because I misused my money, not because an agent, manager, or financial adviser made the wrong call. If my brand goes down the drain it would have to be because of my undoing, not because I let someone else call the shots. I can live with the mistakes that I make in my life, but I can’t live with someone else’s mistakes over my life.
Don’t let your insecurities force you to turn your life over to someone else to call all the shots. Do what you know. Do what makes sense to you and always maintain control of your own destiny. You came in the world alone and you will leave alone. Make sure you live on your terms.
I’ve ran my companies alone for 7 years. The only control I give someone else in my companies are in the areas that I can afford their mistakes. In the areas that I can’t afford their mistakes, I don’t give them control in that space. I’m willing to do the work myself and when it becomes too much work for me to do that may be a sign that I’m doing too much.
We desire to be “big shots” because of our insecurities. We want to delegate authority to others because we like the idea of being a “boss.” We like feeling significant, important, and successful. Well I give jobs to people so they can feel significant, blessed, and highly favored. I don’t do it for my ego. I do my own work. I had 2,098 emails to get through when I woke up. I’m ok going through them myself and if I never get to them all, it’s because I’m a human with a life to live. If I turn some over to an assistant that means those are the ones I’m willing to lose. I could hire 10 assistants to read them all but I’m still only one person and I can’t help 2,098 people at once. I only do what I can control, what I understand, and what I know.
Make your moves make sense to you before you make them. If they don’t make sense, don’t make them.
It’s okay to delegate authority but make sure you understand the role of their authority before you give it to them.
You can follow Tony Gaskins on twitter or check out his website to find out more about him.
