{"id":218,"date":"2025-11-24T14:31:38","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/?p=218"},"modified":"2025-12-18T22:17:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T22:17:11","slug":"how-i-stopped-being-the-bottleneck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/how-i-stopped-being-the-bottleneck\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Stopped Being the Bottleneck"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leadership coach and author <\/span>John Baldoni<\/span><\/a> says, \u201cIf you want to work 160 hours a week, don\u2019t delegate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But as the business leader, we too often want to be the hero. We\u2019re afraid to pass off responsibilities, believing we\u2019re the only one equipped to handle them. Because we don\u2019t devote enough time to the things that really grow the company, we hold back its success.<\/span><\/p>\n

In reality, being the \u201chero\u201d means knowing when to hand things off \u2014 and how to set priorities as a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is <\/span>delegation<\/span><\/a> important for a leader? Gallup found that leaders who delegate generate 33% more revenue for their business. Instead of being the bottleneck, they\u2019ve figured out how to enhance its success through smart talent management. Yet <\/span>75% of business leaders<\/span><\/a> have lower delegation abilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, you can\u2019t (and shouldn\u2019t) delegate <\/span>everything<\/span><\/i>. To stop being the bottleneck, I had to take a hard look at which tasks truly demanded my attention \u2014\u00a0and which ones were becoming distractions. By handling too many of the latter, I was both derailing my own focus and creating a backlog of tasks that needed to be done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Good delegation will bolster <\/span>your resilience<\/span><\/a> as an organization, too. It shows you trust people, gives them the chance to stretch their comfort zone, and helps them grow their problem-solving skills. If you never entrust them with higher-level tasks, your team will stagnate.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how to get started? I\u2019ll tell you about my own journey to becoming an effective delegator, sharing what I learned along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defining My Core Priorities<\/span><\/h2>\n

By identifying my core focus, I learned what to weed out from my task list. This is where good delegation starts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your core focus is what drives the business forward. It creates the most revenue and leverages your area of expertise. Everything else can be offloaded \u2014 either now or, hopefully, in the near future.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to set priorities as a leader? Take a look at my Leadership Delegation Focus Matrix. The things that fall into the top right quadrant require your distinct gifts. You need to protect your time for these activities above all else. This underscores the importance of delegation as a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Self-investment, in the bottom-right quadrant, is also important for your company\u2019s long-term future. Essentially, everything in the right two quadrants can\u2019t (or shouldn\u2019t) be offloaded.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>On the other hand, the tasks that fit into the left two quadrants can be systematized, automated, or just plain eliminated. They shouldn\u2019t be dominating your focus. Ideally, they aren\u2019t even things you need to think about on a daily basis. Assign them to someone else, or start strategizing on how and when you\u2019ll do that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My core focus needed to center on presenting the right message to the public about who we are and what it means to work with us, I realized. Fostering a strong culture and supporting my leadership team was the next most important priority. Then came self-investment \u2014 growing my own leadership skills. I\u2019m constantly working to improve as a leader and business owner; that\u2019s a journey that will never be completed. Every leader should carve out time for personal growth, no matter their level of experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

To determine your core focus, list out all the tasks you handle on a regular basis. Then put them in the appropriate quadrant within this matrix. Now you have a good idea of which ones to delegate. Instead of acting as the bottleneck by trying to handle it all, you can start handing things off to other capable people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Systematizing Processes<\/span><\/h2>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Image source<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

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Delegating means not just trusting your people, but <\/span>trusting your processes<\/span><\/a>. Design processes that you can trust and replicate over the long-term. This will let you hand them off to the right people and know the job will get done well. Your goal as a leader should be to systematize processes and replace yourself whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In my company, I currently handle our accounting and sales. But eventually, I\u2019ll hire other people to bottom-line both of these functions. To hand them off, I\u2019ll outline the steps each process involves. I\u2019ll map out what the customer journey looks like for us, describing what actions to take at key intervals to <\/span>nurture these relationships<\/span><\/a>. And I\u2019ll detail my processes for preparing financial statements and budgets. Incoming staff may have a strong foundation in these tasks, but this will help ensure consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anticipating Future Needs<\/span><\/h2>\n

To delegate well, you also need to predict emerging needs. I realized that I needed to stay in tune with what would benefit my company down the road, so I could prepare for it now. I\u2019m working to get more proficient at messaging, for example. At some point, my executive assistant, Xie, might lead a team focused on strategic messaging, and I\u2019ll need to prepare her for that increase in responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Look for the growth opportunities in these future needs. Who has complementary skills that could make them a great fit for one of these roles? Give them chances to stretch their skills in the meantime. For example, Xie is helping me brainstorm on and fine-tune our messaging, building her skills in this area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Or, for another example, say you\u2019re planning to create a customer renewals department. You could ask your executive assistant to start developing a training plan for these staff. Laying this groundwork will streamline your efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Narrowing Your Focus<\/span><\/h2>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Image source<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

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Over time, I\u2019ve gradually shifted some tasks from the \u201cProtect Your Time\u201d category to \u201cSystemize the Process.\u201d As a result, I\u2019ve narrowed the scope of activities under \u201cProtect Your Time,\u201d and I\u2019ll continue working to narrow my focus further. Today, I spend 70\u201380% of my time working on a shorter list of higher-priority activities. This not only brings much less stress and decreases the hours I work; it also drives a massive upsurge in our growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s because I\u2019m now able to focus on the things that generate more value. You may have heard of the 80\/20 rule: the idea that 20% of your business activities produce 80% of the profits. Every leader should strive to identify the 20% of activities that produce the greatest value and increasingly narrow their focus on them. By doing less, <\/span>you\u2019ll be doing more<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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To put it another way, your number-one job is to figure out how to fire yourself from as many things as possible. As you build trust with your employees, consider whether they can handle these types of mid-level duties:<\/span><\/p>\n