One summer my dad decided we were putting up solar panels on our thirteen acres in Missouri, years before anybody did that, and he handed the whole problem to me. "Steven, can you figure this out?" I got it most of the way there, he told me I did a fantastic job, and then we built it together.
That's what delegation is supposed to feel like. Here's what it usually feels like instead: you hand someone a project, they bring it back at 80% of what you'd have built, and the night before it's due you change all of it. What you just told them, without a word, is "your work doesn't matter, just bring me the 80% next time and I'll do the rest." Nothing degrades trust faster.
So: if it's 80% there, let them present it. Defend them in the room. Coach afterward, because that's where the growth is, and it means more when they're the ones who say "I could have done that better."
This isn't hands-off leadership. You still set the goal and you still deliver results. But don't rescue them, don't swoop in, don't redo it at midnight. We're building thinkers, not button pushers.
Also in here: why I've been quiet for a couple of weeks, the two questions I ask my own kids after a bad grade, and why every person on your team needs a different version of you.
What is Beyond Just Leadership?
🎙️ I love people. That's why I do this.
Beyond Just Leadership is a show about leading the person in front of you a little better. Not the title. Not the org chart. The human. I'm Steven Allphin, and each week I share the real stories behind how the best leaders build trust, help people find their why, and bring out the best in the ones they're responsible for.
Whether you're a CEO, a first-time manager, a parent, a teacher, or someone who just wants to make a difference where they are, you'll get honest lessons from life, family, and work — the kind that stick.
The title changes; the person doesn't. Lead deeper, lead people, lead well. And remember: it starts from within.