The biggest challenge in business stems from TLT – Too Little Time. A great solution to TLT is to delegate more – either to existing team members or outsourcing. Look at the number of hats you’re wearing and see if you can delegate any of them.
A reminder of the 10 departments, or hats, in every business:
- Shareholder.
- Director.
- Leadership.
- Product / Service Development.
- Operations.
- Marketing.
- Sales.
- Finance.
- HR.
- Administration / IT.
So, as business owners, can we delegate or outsource the leadership of the business? To answer this question, we must understand the key responsibilities of leadership:
- Implementation of the plan and monitoring of progress
- Providing a framework for innovation and business improvement
- Motivating, inspiring and engaging the team
- Ensuring there’s clear and effective communication
- Nurturing the desired business culture and ensuring the values are lived into
Leadership is arguably the single most important department in EVERY business. If you seek to delegate or outsource this department, you are essentially abdicating all responsibility for the business delivering on the plan.
Of course, most people don’t delegate or outsource this role, they simply neglect it due to TLT. To be frank, they’re in denial and making excuses as to why they can’t lead well.
If this is you, then put the leadership hat firmly back on and remove the hats that are distracting you from this one. Then, empower someone else to step up and lead a department. Give the team your TLC, not TLT. If you don’t lead well, your team will outsource themselves to your competition!
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell
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