One my biggest leadership challenges has been letting go of control of some of the tasks of my role. Because I have a need for speed, I feel that if I pass on the work to someone else, it won’t happen fast enough. I’ve learnt that this is not sustainable and that for me to be focused on more strategic and creative activities, I need to empower others to do more of my work. So, I’ve learnt to go slower first by mentoring others so that I can go faster once they learn. Not only does this is create more space for me, but empowers others to step up and take on more responsibility.
Bradley Rolfe who is speaking at Project Leadership Summit, shares a similar lesson learnt about how effective project managers let their teams take initiative and empower them to do things their own way. It’s all about letting go control to build an environment of trust. Check out his video on his biggest lesson learnt as a project leader.
So what does control look like for you? Are you stretched for time and yet struggle to let go of some of your workload? Can any part of your role be done by others to create a more collaborative and empowering approach?