I received a note today from a former client who was working on the transition from doing all the work herself to prioritizing, delegating, and enabling her staff to do more. She said she was leading in a way that assured that her staff can proceed without her, thus creating space for her to do some of the more important things that she really wanted to do, rather than those that she needed to do. These more important things include planning and strategizing for the future.

I know this leader. I can assure you that the stuff that needs to get done is now getting done in the right spot in her organization. She is now doing exactly what she should be doing. I know that she was willing to let go of the other stuff for a higher purpose, and that she – and her organization – are happier and healthier as a result.

How did she do it? We can all learn a lot from her with a few of her action plan items:

She changed her mindset from being the person who knew everything and who did everything herself to one who trusts her staff to know and do the daily work. She was wearing down with all the doing that needed to be done, and understood that in order to have the time necessary to do what Stephen Covey calls the Quadrant II activities (Those that are important but not urgent).

She made sure her staff knew her expectations in terms of the work outcomes. It took some time and excellent communication skills to make sure the team was on board with what she expected from them.

She coached her team to help them understand the appropriate way to proceed with how the work needed to be done. She knew that when they grasped the “how”, that it was only a matter of time before the entire staff could be more proactive.

She separated herself from day to day operations: Instead of being intimately involved in all of the inner workings, she trusted her managers to do that and then to come to her with issues and barriers that required her assistance.

She developed her staff: She knew that developing her senior staff through learning opportunities and coaching would be time intensive for her, but would also free up time later (see Coaching: Short Term Pain for Long Term Gain) to focus on the things that were more important.

She pushed herself to take action on activities that were more visionary/strategic for her organization. She’s been successful and is looking forward to leaving a legacy for the initiatives she has undertaken.

None of this was easy, but this leader was persistent and consistent! All of the above happened because she dreamed of having some free time to make a bigger impact on her organization. Now that you know what it takes, what will you do with your free time?

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