The Precursor to Delegation: Developing People
You may have heard Brad Lea say, “If you want to be a millionaire, delegate. But millionaires delegate, and billionaires develop people.” Let me break it down for you: delegation alone isn’t enough. If you want to truly scale your business in a sustainable way, you need to develop the right people along the way. And I’m not talking about just hiring someone and hoping they work out. I’m talking about developing people into specific roles with specific responsibilities so that delegation actually works. That’s the secret to sustained growth.
You see, without developing your people, delegation is just assigning tasks without deeper long-term purpose. But when you develop people, when you equip them with the skills, mindset, and clarity around your vision and mission - th’s when delegation actually becomes a powerful tool for growth.
Take it from me, if you want your business to thrive without micromanaging every single detail, developing your people is your first step. You can’t skip this.
Delegation Doesn’t Work Without Development
Here’s the thing: too many entrepreneurs jump straight into delegation without putting in the time and effort to develop their team. They hire someone, hand them a task, and assume they have the skill set to just “figure it out” or provide the bare minimum basic training. But here’s what happens when you don’t develop your team before you delegate—they struggle, they make mistakes, and your business suffers.
Think about it. You want to hand over the reins to someone, but how are they going to take control if they don’t even know how to steer and control the horse?
It’s your job as a leader to develop your people so they’re ready to handle the tasks you’re giving them. The key to successful delegation is development. You can’t just say, “Here, take this project,” and walk away. You’ve got to prepare them to step into those shoes.
The reality is that delegation only works when your people are developed enough to handle it.
The “Take the Reins” Metaphor
Let me put this in perspective for you. Picture an old Western movie, the kind where the hero’s chasing down a train. The action hero turns to his partner and yells, “Take the reins!” - then jumps onto the moving train.
But here’s the catch - his partner doesn’t even know how to ride a horse.
So, what happens? The hero has to teach his partner how to ride a horse, then how to control a team of horses, how to adjust for a stagecoach and terrain, hold a constant speed, and how to manage the transfer to the stagecoach among dozens of other critical details. If he hadn’t developed his partner’s skills, there’s no way they could have pulled off that brave rescue of the damsel in distress.
And the best part of this metaphor? If the action hero hadn’t communicated the mission to his partner, he never would have understood why he was supposed to take the reins in the first place. You can’t just give people tasks; they need to understand the why behind it. And often we try to hand off the reins to people in times of chaos when we are overwhelmed and feel we have to delegate or bust. What a recipe for disaster!
When you’re leading a team, it’s not just about passing along tasks or projects. It’s about teaching them the bigger picture. When your team understands the mission, when they know the why behind the work, they’ll be able to take those reins and drive your business forward both in calm and in crisis.
Be Clear About Your Vision
You know what makes this metaphor work? The hero has a clear vision of the mission. He knows what needs to happen and why. But does the partner know? No. The partner has to be developed, taught, and shown the bigger picture so that when the time comes, they can step up to the challenge.
And that’s where you, as a leader, come in. If you don’t have clarity around your business vision, your team won’t either. It’s your job to articulate the big picture and communicate that vision to your team. When they see that vision, they’ll have the purpose they need to take ownership and take action. Everyone will see how each part fits into the bigger picture. Without that clarity, you can forget about effective delegation.
A Trap: Over-Reliance on Resumes
Here’s where a lot of entrepreneurs get it wrong - they hire based on resumes. You look at the qualifications, you see the experience, and you assume that’s all you need. Big mistake. Skills and experience matter, but they aren’t enough on their own.
You see, you’ve got to look beyond the resume and consider the holistic view of the person. Are they coachable? Can they grow into a bigger role if needed? Do they align with your company’s values? You need to develop their potential, not just fill a role. I would argue character and company cultural fit is equal to if not more important than pedigree and raw skill.
Hiring for potential is the game changer. It’s about looking at the person as a whole and investing in their development. When you do that, you set them (and your business) up for success.
Developing People Is Your Job
I want to be crystal clear here: as a leader, your job is to develop your people. Jocko Willink says, “The best form of welfare for your troops is world class training.” It’s not right to just hire them and expect results. You need to invest in their growth, teach them new skills, and help them understand the bigger mission. Once you do that, the delegation part becomes easy.
Delegation is about trust. But trust comes from development. When you know your team is capable, when you’ve invested in their growth, delegation is a natural step. You can trust them to take the reins because you’ve already taught them how. If you are not setting established early training and recurring training overtime, you might be on the failing side of the equation.
Develop First, Delegate Second
Don’t skip this step. Developing your people is not optional - it’s imperative. Once you’ve invested in their development, delegation becomes effortless. But without it, you’re just handing off tasks to people who aren’t prepared, and that’s a recipe for failure.
If you want to scale, if you want to build a business that works without you in the driver’s seat, you’ve got to develop your people. And once they’re ready, delegate with confidence.
So, go out there, develop your team, communicate the vision, and when the time comes - hand them the reins. They’ll be ready to run with it, and so will your business.
If this is an area where you need work, schedule a complimentary consultation with CS Business Consulting and see how we can get you to that next level of development and onward to delegation!
