The real reason 89% of leaders can't let go (and the hidden cost of holding on)
"I'd rather just do it myself. It's faster, and I know it'll be done right."
If you've ever caught yourself saying this, you're not alone. In fact, in my survey of over 130 leaders over the last 6 years (full report coming out soon!), the number one challenge, representing 89% of leaders, was delegation.
But here's what surprised me after working with hundreds of leaders: the delegation problem isn't what most people think it is.
You Are Always the Bottleneck
Let's start with a hard truth that most leadership development programs won't tell you:
You are always the organizational bottleneck.
Everything flows through you—strategy, vision, goals, ideas, decisions, all of it. You either control everything, nothing, or somewhere in between. But it all flows through you.
Think of it as a supply chain issue: if the chain is broken at the top, everyone feels it below. When you can't get your team what they need, they end up sitting around waiting for you. It gums up the whole works.
And here's the kicker: most leaders know this intellectually. They understand delegation. They've read the books, attended the workshops, and can explain the benefits.
So why do 89% of us still struggle to actually do it?
Because delegation isn't a skills problem—it's a psychology problem.
What Delegation Actually Is (Hint: It's Not Just Handing Over Tasks)
Everyone thinks they know what delegation is: "It's giving people stuff to do."
But it's more than that. Delegation is the transfer of power from one person to another.
It's not just handing over a task—it's giving someone a degree of power that you once had. In many ways, it's decentralizing your power and giving it away to others.
Like turning two keys on a bank vault in the movies, both parties need to be involved for delegation to work well.
This is why it feels so scary. You're not just asking someone to help with your to-do list. You're fundamentally shifting who has control.
The Hidden Cost of Holding On
Here's what most leaders don't realize: when you hold onto tasks your team can and should be doing, you're not just limiting them—you're abandoning the work that only you can do.
Every "yes" to low-impact work is a "no" to high-impact work.
Think about your last typical week. How much time did you spend on work that someone else could handle? Now think about the strategic initiatives, relationship building, or problem-solving that didn't happen because you were busy doing work below your level.
The real cost isn't just your time—it's the mission impact that never happened because you were stuck in the weeds.
Why We Really Struggle to Delegate
After years of asking leaders this question, here are the real reasons we avoid delegation:
Control freaks: "They won't do it the way I would"
Don't want to burden people: "They're already so busy"
Unsure of team's capacity: "I don't think they're ready"
Misunderstand your role: "If I'm not doing the work, what's my value?"
Shame/fear/doubt: "What if they do it better than me?"
Comfort with ambiguity: "It's easier to just handle it myself"
Notice something? None of these are about not knowing how to delegate. They're all emotional and psychological barriers.
The Truth About Your Job
Here's the reality check: You can't do your job well as a leader if you're also doing your team's jobs.
Your job as a leader isn't to be the best individual contributor on your team. It's to create margin for mission—to free up capacity (yours and theirs) so the organization can make the impact your customers actually feel.
There are three ways to create this margin:
Your team's capacity increases (they do different work)
Your capacity increases (you work harder—not sustainable)
Your impact increases (you do high-impact work that reverberates beyond yourself)
Delegation enables both #1 and #3 simultaneously.
The irony of delegation is this: the very thing that feels like losing control actually gives you more control over what matters most.
The Critical Question
What could you accomplish if you stopped doing work others could do and started focusing on work only you can do?
Reflection Questions
Take a moment to honestly assess your current situation:
Where are you currently the bottleneck for your team? Why?
What work are you doing that your team can and should be doing?
As a result, what high-impact work are you not getting to that only you can do?
What's the simplest delegation change you could make this week?
Ready to Break Through Your Delegation Barriers?
What's your delegation challenge? I'd love to hear what's really stopping you from letting go. Contact me to discuss your specific situation and explore strategies for overcoming the psychological barriers that keep you stuck in the bottleneck.