May 28, 2025 • 28 mins
In this thought-provoking episode of the Inspirations for Your Life Podcast, we dive deep into the powerful synergy between leadership and delegation—and how both serve as pillars in effective decision-making. Leadership isn't about doing it all; it's about guiding others to act with clarity and confidence. Delegation, when done correctly, empowers teams, clears the path for innovation, and ensures that no one person becomes a bottleneck. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an aspiring leader, today’s episode will equip you with the insight to foster trust, sharpen your communication, and build a decision-making culture that thrives on collaboration and shared responsibility. Let's get ready to transform the way you lead and delegate!1️⃣ 🤝 Delegation Builds Trust and Empowers OthersOne of the most underrated leadership tools is trust—and delegation is how that trust is both demonstrated and developed. When a leader entrusts team members with meaningful responsibilities, it communicates confidence in their abilities. This act alone can be a game-changer for morale. Team members begin to take ownership, bring their best selves to the task, and stretch their skills. Delegation isn’t about giving tasks away—it’s about giving people the opportunity to grow into their potential. Empowered employees are more motivated, innovative, and committed because they feel seen, valued, and trusted.2️⃣ 🔭 Leadership Guides Decision-Making Through VisionGreat leaders don’t just delegate tasks—they anchor every decision in a clear, compelling vision. Vision provides direction when uncertainty clouds the path. When leaders communicate a strong purpose, it acts as a compass for everyone involved. Delegated decisions become extensions of that overarching vision, not just isolated actions. Vision-driven leadership ensures decisions align with values, goals, and long-term success. It allows teams to self-navigate, knowing their choices contribute to a bigger mission.3️⃣ 🚦 Delegation Prevents Decision-Making BottlenecksWhen leaders try to keep all decision-making to themselves, projects stall. Deadlines get missed. Innovation is stifled. Delegation acts as a release valve for those pressure points. It distributes the load, allowing decisions to be made at the right levels without constant executive oversight. This speeds up workflow, energizes teams, and allows the organization to stay agile. A leader who learns to let go of control becomes a gateway, not a gatekeeper—accelerating progress by empowering others to act swiftly and wisely.4️⃣ 🎯 Strong Leaders Match Tasks with the Right PeopleEffective delegation is not just about handing out tasks—it's about aligning responsibility with strengths. The best leaders know their team members well enough to match people with projects that suit their skills, passions, and growth potential. When delegation is personalized, it leads to higher performance, better outcomes, and increased job satisfaction. It’s also a powerful coaching moment: leaders help their teams stretch while still setting them up for success. Delegating wisely is both an art and a science.5️⃣ 🗣️ Clear Communication is Essential in DelegationWithout clarity, even the most well-intentioned delegation can fall apart. Expectations must be clearly communicated—what needs to be done, by when, and to what standard. When leaders provide context, goals, and support, they set their teams up for success. Ambiguity leads to errors, frustration, and blame, while transparency fosters accountability and alignment. Remember, clarity is kindness in leadership, and it's what transforms a simple task assignment into a confident commitment.6️⃣ 🧭 Accountability Supports Better OutcomesAccountability is what holds the structure of delegation together. When roles are clearly defined and expectations are agreed upon, it becomes easier to measure progress and address issues proactively. Accountability doesn't mean micromanagement—it means mutual respect and resp
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Episode Transcript
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(00:20):
Hey guys, good morning, I should say, not
good evening, good morning, it is John C.
Morley here, serial entrepreneur.
It's been a little bit crazy with school
and lots of things happening this week and
hoping this weekend I'll kind of catch up
as we're ending the month of May.
There was so many festivities with Memorial Day
last week and all that good stuff.
(00:41):
So definitely welcome everyone to Inspirations for Your
Life.
This is the May 27, 2025 show.
This is actually the show, ladies and gentlemen,
for Tuesday, not Wednesday, even though today is
Wednesday, this is Tuesday's show.
All right, everyone, if you're a little bit
thirsty, a little bit hungry, maybe you want
a snack, feel free to head to the
kitchen and grab something, whether it's healthy or
(01:04):
not, and head on back to the show
so we can get things rolling.
All right, everyone, I'm your host, John C.
Morley, I'm not only a podcast host, but
also a podcast coach, serial entrepreneur, video producer,
and many other things.
So it is great to have you here
with me.
Feel free to check out BelieveMeAG.com for
more of my amazing, of course, inspiring creations,
which you can do right after the show,
(01:26):
24 hours a day.
So I hope that you will definitely check
this out because I've got a lot of
stuff, great stuff for you.
And I think a lot of times people
(01:46):
get, you know, they get confused, right?
And I think that's an important thing to
understand.
And maybe, you know, you're not sure sometimes
(02:08):
where things are going.
I know that happens to, you know, the
best of us.
And I know that sometimes, you know, you
can get a little bit confused, you can
get a little bit tired.
Sometimes people can be nasty, that happens, right?
So today's show, I think you're really going
(02:29):
to appreciate.
We all know the master topic for this
week, if you didn't, here it is.
It is building unity through clarity, communication, and
compassion.
But today's granular topic, which I'm sure you
definitely want to know, is delegation and leadership
played a key role in decision making.
(02:50):
So that's important to understand.
So let's kick this show off.
All right, everyone.
Okay.
So in this thought provoking episode early this
morning, in Inspirations for Your Life podcast, I'm
going to dive very deep into the powerful
synergy between leadership and delegation and how both
(03:10):
serve as pillars in effective decision making.
Leadership isn't about doing it all.
It's about guiding others to act with clarity
and confidence.
Delegation when done correctly empowers teams, clears the
path for innovation, and ensures that no one
person becomes a bottleneck.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or an aspiring
(03:31):
leader, today's episode is going to equip you
with the insight to foster trust, sharpen your
communication, and build a decision making culture that
thrives on collaboration and shared responsibility.
So let's get ready, everyone, to transform your
life and lead with delegation.
(03:51):
Number one, delegation builds trust, and you know
what, ladies and gentlemen, it empowers others.
You wouldn't think it, but it really does.
When you put your confidence into someone else,
it's like, wow, this person really trusted me.
So one of the most underrated leadership tools
is trust.
And delegation is how that trust is born,
(04:13):
and it's demonstrated, and it's developed.
When a leader entrusts team members with meaningful
responsibilities, it communicates confidence in their abilities.
This act alone can be a game changer
for morale.
Team members begin to take ownership, bring their
best selves to the task, and stretch those
(04:33):
skills.
Delegation isn't about giving tasks away, folks.
It's about giving people the opportunity to grow
into their potential.
Empowered employees are more motivated, innovative, and committed
because they feel seen, valued, and, of course,
trusted.
Let's move on to point two, shall we?
All right.
Point two is really, really cool, and that
(04:56):
is one I think you're going to want
to know, and that's leadership guides decision making
through vision.
So great leaders don't just delegate tasks.
They anchor every decision in a clear, compelling
vision.
Vision provides direction when uncertainty clouds the path.
And no, excuse me.
When leaders communicate a strong purpose, it acts
as a compass for everyone involved.
(05:19):
Delegated decisions become extensions of the overarching vision,
not just isolated actions.
Vision, I should say, driven leadership ensures decisions
align with values, goals, and long-term success.
It allows teams to self-navigate, knowing their
choices contribute to a bigger mission.
(05:41):
And I think that's something that a lot
of us don't realize.
I have something in my eye here.
Sorry about that, guys.
When we realize that our mission is more
than just us, our mission is more than
just today, our mission is more than just
tomorrow, our mission is how we can make
this place a much better place.
I think that's an important thing for all
(06:02):
of us to really, really understand.
And so I hope you will realize that
delegation, guys, definitely, yeah, it prevents bottlenecks.
When leaders try to keep all decision making
to themselves, projects stall, deadlines get missed, innovation
(06:25):
is stifled, delegation acts as a release valve.
For those pressure points, it distributes the load,
allowing decisions to be made at the right
levels without constant executive oversight.
This speeds up workflow, energizes teams, and allows
the organization to stay agile.
A leader who learns to let go of
(06:47):
control becomes a gateway, not a gatekeeper, accelerating
progress by empowering others to act swiftly and
wisely.
Number four, guys, strong leaders match tasks with
the right people.
So it's not about a popularity contest, folks.
It's about really rising to the occasion.
(07:08):
Effective delegation is not just about handing out
tasks, as I said before.
It's about aligning those responsibilities and strengths with
the people you think that are going to
be appropriate.
The best leaders know their team and all
their members well enough to match people with
projects that are going to suit their skills,
passions, and their growth potential.
(07:31):
When delegation is personalized, it leads to higher
performance, better outcomes, and of course, increased job
satisfaction.
It's also a powerful coaching moment too.
Leaders help their team stretch while still setting
them up for success.
Delegating wisely is both an art and a
science.
Well, number five, clear communication, folks, is essential
(07:54):
in delegation.
So you can't delegate if you don't understand
what you're doing or why you're doing something.
I think that's a really important thing.
So without clarity, as I said, even the
most well-intentioned delegation can just fall apart
like that.
Expectations must be clearly communicated, what needs to
(08:16):
be done, by when, and to what standard.
When leaders provide context, goals, and support, they
set them up and their teams for success.
Ambiguity just leads to more errors, frustration, and
blame, while transparency fosters accountability and alignment truly
(08:37):
into a confident commitment.
When people are shoving things around and they're
blaming or playing the name blame game, that
means that things weren't thought out properly, all
right?
And now that you understand that you can
mitigate the name game if you just take
(08:59):
accountability for your actions and you get your
team to take accountability for their actions.
So accountability, guys, supports better outcomes.
And this has been shown in so many
things, whether it's sports, whether it's business, so
many places.
Accountability is what holds the structure of delegation
together.
When roles are clearly defined and expectations are
(09:20):
agreed upon, it becomes easier to measure progress
and address issues proactively.
Accountability doesn't mean micromanagement.
It means mutual respect and responsibility and encourages
teams to check in, course correct, and stay
aligned without fear of pressure, similar to following
your GPS in your car.
Well, hopefully you follow your GPS, right?
(09:41):
When teams know they'll be held accountable in
a constructive way, they magically rise to the
occasion and take ownership of the outcome.
That's important.
Number seven, micromanaging undermines delegation.
So micromanaging is the quickest way to destroy
trust and paralyze progress.
(10:03):
When leaders delegate, but constantly interfere, they send
the message, I don't trust you.
This not only demoralizes the team, but it
also drains the leader's own energy and their
attention's focus.
The point of delegation is to free up
the leader to focus on vision, strategy, and
(10:24):
to not keep one hand on every task.
True leadership, folks, means stepping back so others
can step up.
Trust the process and the people behind it.
Too many times leaders feel, you know what,
I need to get in the spotlight.
No, you don't.
You need to realize that it's time to
let other people have a little bit of
the spotlight and see that goodness and how
(10:47):
they can shine through and how that can
benefit you and your team.
All right?
So if you understand these things, then hopefully
it'll make sense to you, okay?
Number eight, leadership creates a culture of shared
responsibility.
Delegation isn't a task, guys.
It's a culture.
Strong leaders foster environments where everyone feels responsible
(11:08):
for success.
They invite participation, encourage contribution, and recognize team
wins.
This culture of shared responsibility leads to better
decision-making because diverse perspectives are considered.
It removes hierarchy from the equation and brings
everyone to the table.
A team that shares ownership also shares in
the victories and the learning from failures.
(11:33):
Number nine, delegation boosts team agility and responsiveness.
Yeah, that's a mouthful of words, isn't it?
Sure.
In this fast-moving environment that we live
in every day, agility is essential.
Delegation increases a team's ability to pivot, adapt,
(11:53):
and of course respond to many different challenges
without waiting for a top-down direction from
someone.
When team members are empowered to make decisions
on their own from the ground up, they
seize the opportunities and avoid roadblocks more efficiently
(12:14):
than if they weren't given that opportunity.
Agile teams don't wait.
They act.
In other words, they're proactive, not reactive, and
that action is only possible when leaders trust
their people and provide the tools, authority, and
encouragement to lead from wherever they stand.
(12:35):
It's important to understand that when you have
a team, don't micromanage your team.
Okay?
I understand you've got to check in on
things, but don't micromanage them.
They don't like that, and it's also going
to make their productivity go way down.
Number 10, great decisions come from empowered teams.
So if you build the team up, they're
(12:56):
going to make some great decisions for you.
At the heart of every great decision is
a team that feels empowered to make it.
Empowerment fuels creativity, collaboration, and courage.
It turns past employees into active problem solvers.
When leaders delegate with clarity, trust, and purpose,
they create decision makers, not just doers.
(13:18):
These empowered teams move from simply executing plans
to shaping the future of the organization.
When everyone leads, everyone wins.
I know a lot of you will say
to me, John, you know, I can't lead
because someone else is leading.
No.
That's not true.
You see, when you're a leader, leaders can
(13:40):
work with each other.
Leaders have a way, been doing this for
a long time, of magically embracing people, embracing
their talents, embracing those strengths, and embracing those
weaknesses.
And when we truly embrace those talents and
those weaknesses, it's at that moment that we
create this shift, this really powerful opportunity.
(14:03):
Now guys, we're at that point in the
program that I love.
So I'm going to give you a personal
story for each point today, okay?
And it's my hope, okay, that by doing
this, folks, that you're going to be able
(14:25):
to really understand what I'm doing.
And when you do that, you're going to
say, you know what, John?
I didn't know that was possible.
I didn't know that I could do that.
I didn't know how I can empower someone.
Do you know how to empower your team?
Or do you just kind of give up
at the pass?
(14:47):
I mean, that's the thing.
If you don't know how to empower your
team, well, you should figure out how to
empower your team.
And I know that sounds like an oxymoron,
but I'm telling you the truth, guys.
If you can't empower your team, how can
you ever expect them to lead for you?
How can you ever expect them to be
autonomous, which you want them to be?
(15:08):
You don't want to micromanage them.
You don't want to know about every little
task.
You want them to be better, right?
You want them to learn at what it
is you're doing.
And I think that's a real key thing.
So my first one is this, delegation builds
trust and empowers others.
Years ago, I was working on a team
(15:30):
for a product launch that had a lot
riding on it.
I was used to doing most of the
critical work myself, but this time I handed
over some responsibility for the campaign to one
of my junior team members.
At first, I was nervous as you can't
believe, but I took the leap, shared clear
expectations and gave space.
(15:51):
What happened was they blew me away.
Not only did he exceed performance targets, but
he brought new ideas I never considered before.
That single one moment shifted my leadership style.
I learned that empowering someone doesn't just lift
the work off your shoulders.
(16:13):
It unlocks their brilliance.
And when we can stroke somebody's ego, not
for the wrong reasons, but for the right
reasons, I think that's something that a lot
of people like live for.
My second point is leadership guides decision-making
through vision.
When I started building my podcast platform a
(16:36):
while back, I kept getting bogged down in
the tiny decisions, branding, colors, gear, outreach, templates.
It wasn't until I took a step back
and wrote down my long-term vision to
inspire transformation through authentic stories.
See, that just felt right to me.
(16:58):
It all fell in place.
That vision became a filter for all decisions,
big and small, whether it was choosing a
guest or promoting a topic, I asked, does
this align with my core values and my
vision?
If it did, I proceeded.
If it didn't, I just moved on and
discarded that thought.
(17:19):
Vision gave me direction.
And my team knew exactly what we were
working toward.
They knew things that would waste my time,
so they got very good at disqualifying guests
that were not going to fit into my
repertoire for my brand.
Number three, guys, delegation prevents decision-making bottlenecks.
(17:44):
I once managed a small company before I
had my own, and every decision was ran
through me.
That was a big mistake.
Our team was very talented, but I was
the one stalling progress.
One week, we had a client emergency, and
everything froze because I was not reachable.
(18:04):
I was on a plane.
Well, I'm entitled to take a trip.
After that, I created decision trees, empowered our
leaders to act within their zones, and trusted
them to make calls.
The shift was massive, less waiting, more doing,
and we became faster, more adaptable, and everyone
felt more responsible.
It wasn't just efficient.
(18:25):
It was liberating, and when people really had
a serious question or decision, they reached out
to me.
Oftentimes, I said yes, but they just wanted
to reach out because they thought it was
something big, and they wanted to make sure
that they were on the right, let's say,
trajectory.
Number four, strong leaders match tasks with the
right people.
(18:45):
Now, this isn't just BS or propaganda.
This is the truth, guys.
True leaders understand this.
During a community fundraising campaign I ran, I
mistakenly assigned the social media strategy for this
campaign, even though I've been doing this for
a long time.
Someone who has, let's say, the ability to
work a lot better with spreadsheets than storytelling,
of course, it flopped.
(19:07):
Then I took time to reassess the team
strengths.
I reassigned tasks based on individual talents.
The data wizard handled donor tracking, and our
creative intern took over social media.
The result, engagement doubled, and donations soared.
Matching the right person to the right task
isn't just smart.
It's essential for success.
When you can get somebody into a position
(19:30):
that allows them to ignite their passion, their
passion, they light up.
They shine.
They deliver more than you ever could imagine.
Number five, guys, clear communication is essential in
delegation.
I don't know why people today think that
(19:51):
they don't need to communicate anymore, but I
have to tell you, communication is not just
something that you would, let's say, expect.
It's something that you will start to appreciate.
(20:14):
Clear communication is essential in delegation.
One summer, I was working on a non
-profit event, where I asked a volunteer to
handle the check-in process.
I thought I was being clear.
But on the day of the event, chaos
just sort of reigned from everywhere.
No name tags, no seating order, no guest
list at the front.
(20:36):
It's like, oh boy, what am I going
to do?
My instructions had been vague.
That taught me a hard lesson.
Always communicate exactly what I need to have
done.
Now, when I delegate, I give context goals,
like, okay, you're going to handle the name
tags.
You're going to make sure the centerpieces are
done.
You're going to make sure that our guests
(20:57):
are taken care of when they arrive.
You're going to make sure that the food
is all ready and correct.
So I give context to everything now.
It's not micromanaging.
It's respecting the process.
I think when you can give a context
or something, that's not micromanaging.
Micromanaging is when you're checking in on somebody
(21:18):
every five seconds, right?
But if I say, gee, I need you
to do this and I need it to
be around this with this type of thing,
people appreciate that.
That's not micromanaging.
Number six, accountability supports better outcomes.
Now, this is something you'd be like, John,
I don't understand this at all.
(21:39):
Well, we talked about the importance of outcomes
and of accountability.
In a previous leadership workshop I hosted, one
of the teams, let's say, slacked off during
the challenging part of it, and they missed
a major deadline for us.
When I asked what went wrong, no one
felt responsible.
(22:00):
That was my wake-up call.
I hadn't set clear checkpoints or assigned owners.
Since then, I implement accountability systems, shared dashboards,
weekly check-ins, progress reviews.
Now, people know what's expected, and they show
it because they know their scene.
Accountability isn't pressure.
It's structured with support.
(22:20):
I put together a flow chart, explain to
people who needs to make this check-in.
Well, when it comes to food, you've got
to talk to Joe.
When it comes to this, you've got to
talk to Mike.
When it comes to this, you've got to
come to Fred.
This one, you come to Tom.
Then when anything's above that, you need to
come to me.
I didn't need to get involved with a
(22:41):
lot of things.
I was mostly involved with things like how
much money we were going to spend and
whether I wanted to move forward with something
after somebody had given me a report.
That's important, guys.
Accountability is your key to success.
If you're not being successful because of your
accountability, well, that's your leader's fault.
(23:02):
I can't fault you because you don't necessarily
know which way you're going.
Number seven, micromanaging undermines delegation.
There was a time early in my leadership
journey when I had my hands in everything,
approving every email, rewriting every proposal, and even
tweaking slide fonts.
I thought I was helping, but I was
(23:22):
suffocating the team.
One brave teammate finally pulled me aside and
said, hey, we can't grow if you won't
let go.
That was the mirror I needed.
I stepped back, and surprise, things got better.
People felt trusted and ideas flowed.
Micromanagement may feel safe, but it kills innovation
(23:43):
and motivation, and it gets people to basically
not try.
They don't even expand because they feel that
they can't live up to anything.
Number eight, guys, leadership creates a culture of
shared responsibility.
I once volunteered for a charity building project
(24:03):
where leadership encouraged every volunteer to pitch in
ideas, regardless of the role, from architects to
teenagers painting walls.
Everyone felt like a stakeholder.
There was no hierarchy, just shared responsibility.
When one person forgot to bring tools, another
jumped in without blame.
That atmosphere created deep camaraderie and momentum.
(24:26):
Shared responsibility doesn't mean shared confusion.
It means collective ownership and pride in the
outcome.
I want to ask you something, folks.
Do you take pride in your outcome?
Does your team take pride in your outcome?
Or is it just about, well, if it's
not the way we want it, then we
just decide to play the blame game?
(24:48):
I think that's an important thing to understand,
because if you understand that, then maybe you'll
be able to change, just maybe.
And if you understand what it is, then
maybe you can shape things a different way.
(25:11):
And I know that can seem scary at
first, but it really has the potential to
transform your entire life.
So what are you waiting for?
Why not give that a try right now?
Delegation boosts team agility and responsiveness.
A few years ago, I co-led a
business pitch completion.
(25:31):
When one of our presenters fell ill an
hour before we went on, panic started to
rise.
But because we had delegated presentation roles and
cross-trained our team, another member stepped in
seamlessly.
No waiting, no panic, just action.
And agility like that only happens when teams
are trusted to lead and equipped to do
(25:53):
so.
Delegation isn't a fallback.
It's a forward-thinking strategy.
So I think we always have to realize
that, whether you're in a play, whether you're
in production, you have to realize that you've
got to make sure you've got your backup.
Our last point and my last story.
Number 10, great decisions come from empowered teams.
I'll never forget a product design sprint I
(26:15):
ran where I deliberately took a backseat.
Instead of steering the team, I facilitated and
encouraged what was going on.
What unfolded was magic.
Developers suggested usability, changes, marketers rethought messaging, and
designers took bold, creative leaps.
The final product wasn't just good, it was
(26:37):
revolutionary, outstanding.
That experience taught me when teams feel empowered,
they make decisions that surprise even the leaders.
It's not about building a room full of
people who feel smart enough to lead.
It's about creating a culture that gets people
(26:57):
to lead.
And so leading doesn't mean that somebody has
to get up on stage and dictate something.
No, it doesn't mean that they have to
manage an entire project.
Leading means that they're going to take a
few accountability points and they're going to own
(27:18):
them and they're going to be responsible for
how they work.
Now, they may know nothing about those things,
but they're going to make it their responsibility
to own it.
You ever called somebody like, you know, a
customer service representative and they just kind of
push you around, but how about the one
that actually decides to own the problem or
the challenge?
(27:40):
Even if they don't help you, you're just
so happy that they're going to own it.
They're like, uh, Mr. Molloy, don't worry, we're
going to follow this through and I'm going
to make sure that everything happens and I'll
follow up with you tomorrow.
And even though I'm not directly involved, but
I'm going to make sure the right people
get involved.
So this issue gets resolved immediately.
That's how you run a successful business.
That's how you run successful leadership teams.
(28:02):
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm John C.
Molloy, serial entrepreneur.
So it's a privilege, pleasure to interview with
you guys in these amazing mornings, days, evenings
and weekends every time.
And I'll catch you soon on the show,
but check out believemeachieved.com.
Have yourself a fantastic evening, everyone.
Be well.
Hey guys, good morning, I should say, not
good evening, good morning, it is John C.
Morley here, serial entrepreneur.
It's been a little bit crazy with school
and lots of things happening this week and
hoping this weekend I'll kind of catch up
as we're ending the month of May.
There was so many festivities with Memorial Day
last week and all that good stuff.
(00:41):
So definitely welcome everyone to Inspirations for Your
Life.
This is the May 27, 2025 show.
This is actually the show, ladies and gentlemen,
for Tuesday, not Wednesday, even though today is
Wednesday, this is Tuesday's show.
All right, everyone, if you're a little bit
thirsty, a little bit hungry, maybe you want
a snack, feel free to head to the
kitchen and grab something, whether it's healthy or
(01:04):
not, and head on back to the show
so we can get things rolling.
All right, everyone, I'm your host, John C.
Morley, I'm not only a podcast host, but
also a podcast coach, serial entrepreneur, video producer,
and many other things.
So it is great to have you here
with me.
Feel free to check out BelieveMeAG.com for
more of my amazing, of course, inspiring creations,
which you can do right after the show,
(01:26):
24 hours a day.
So I hope that you will definitely check
this out because I've got a lot of
stuff, great stuff for you.
And I think a lot of times people
(01:46):
get, you know, they get confused, right?
And I think that's an important thing to
understand.
And maybe, you know, you're not sure sometimes
(02:08):
where things are going.
I know that happens to, you know, the
best of us.
And I know that sometimes, you know, you
can get a little bit confused, you can
get a little bit tired.
Sometimes people can be nasty, that happens, right?
So today's show, I think you're really going
(02:29):
to appreciate.
We all know the master topic for this
week, if you didn't, here it is.
It is building unity through clarity, communication, and
compassion.
But today's granular topic, which I'm sure you
definitely want to know, is delegation and leadership
played a key role in decision making.
(02:50):
So that's important to understand.
So let's kick this show off.
All right, everyone.
Okay.
So in this thought provoking episode early this
morning, in Inspirations for Your Life podcast, I'm
going to dive very deep into the powerful
synergy between leadership and delegation and how both
(03:10):
serve as pillars in effective decision making.
Leadership isn't about doing it all.
It's about guiding others to act with clarity
and confidence.
Delegation when done correctly empowers teams, clears the
path for innovation, and ensures that no one
person becomes a bottleneck.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or an aspiring
(03:31):
leader, today's episode is going to equip you
with the insight to foster trust, sharpen your
communication, and build a decision making culture that
thrives on collaboration and shared responsibility.
So let's get ready, everyone, to transform your
life and lead with delegation.
(03:51):
Number one, delegation builds trust, and you know
what, ladies and gentlemen, it empowers others.
You wouldn't think it, but it really does.
When you put your confidence into someone else,
it's like, wow, this person really trusted me.
So one of the most underrated leadership tools
is trust.
And delegation is how that trust is born,
(04:13):
and it's demonstrated, and it's developed.
When a leader entrusts team members with meaningful
responsibilities, it communicates confidence in their abilities.
This act alone can be a game changer
for morale.
Team members begin to take ownership, bring their
best selves to the task, and stretch those
(04:33):
skills.
Delegation isn't about giving tasks away, folks.
It's about giving people the opportunity to grow
into their potential.
Empowered employees are more motivated, innovative, and committed
because they feel seen, valued, and, of course,
trusted.
Let's move on to point two, shall we?
All right.
Point two is really, really cool, and that
(04:56):
is one I think you're going to want
to know, and that's leadership guides decision making
through vision.
So great leaders don't just delegate tasks.
They anchor every decision in a clear, compelling
vision.
Vision provides direction when uncertainty clouds the path.
And no, excuse me.
When leaders communicate a strong purpose, it acts
as a compass for everyone involved.
(05:19):
Delegated decisions become extensions of the overarching vision,
not just isolated actions.
Vision, I should say, driven leadership ensures decisions
align with values, goals, and long-term success.
It allows teams to self-navigate, knowing their
choices contribute to a bigger mission.
(05:41):
And I think that's something that a lot
of us don't realize.
I have something in my eye here.
Sorry about that, guys.
When we realize that our mission is more
than just us, our mission is more than
just today, our mission is more than just
tomorrow, our mission is how we can make
this place a much better place.
I think that's an important thing for all
(06:02):
of us to really, really understand.
And so I hope you will realize that
delegation, guys, definitely, yeah, it prevents bottlenecks.
When leaders try to keep all decision making
to themselves, projects stall, deadlines get missed, innovation
(06:25):
is stifled, delegation acts as a release valve.
For those pressure points, it distributes the load,
allowing decisions to be made at the right
levels without constant executive oversight.
This speeds up workflow, energizes teams, and allows
the organization to stay agile.
A leader who learns to let go of
(06:47):
control becomes a gateway, not a gatekeeper, accelerating
progress by empowering others to act swiftly and
wisely.
Number four, guys, strong leaders match tasks with
the right people.
So it's not about a popularity contest, folks.
It's about really rising to the occasion.
(07:08):
Effective delegation is not just about handing out
tasks, as I said before.
It's about aligning those responsibilities and strengths with
the people you think that are going to
be appropriate.
The best leaders know their team and all
their members well enough to match people with
projects that are going to suit their skills,
passions, and their growth potential.
(07:31):
When delegation is personalized, it leads to higher
performance, better outcomes, and of course, increased job
satisfaction.
It's also a powerful coaching moment too.
Leaders help their team stretch while still setting
them up for success.
Delegating wisely is both an art and a
science.
Well, number five, clear communication, folks, is essential
(07:54):
in delegation.
So you can't delegate if you don't understand
what you're doing or why you're doing something.
I think that's a really important thing.
So without clarity, as I said, even the
most well-intentioned delegation can just fall apart
like that.
Expectations must be clearly communicated, what needs to
(08:16):
be done, by when, and to what standard.
When leaders provide context, goals, and support, they
set them up and their teams for success.
Ambiguity just leads to more errors, frustration, and
blame, while transparency fosters accountability and alignment truly
(08:37):
into a confident commitment.
When people are shoving things around and they're
blaming or playing the name blame game, that
means that things weren't thought out properly, all
right?
And now that you understand that you can
mitigate the name game if you just take
(08:59):
accountability for your actions and you get your
team to take accountability for their actions.
So accountability, guys, supports better outcomes.
And this has been shown in so many
things, whether it's sports, whether it's business, so
many places.
Accountability is what holds the structure of delegation
together.
When roles are clearly defined and expectations are
(09:20):
agreed upon, it becomes easier to measure progress
and address issues proactively.
Accountability doesn't mean micromanagement.
It means mutual respect and responsibility and encourages
teams to check in, course correct, and stay
aligned without fear of pressure, similar to following
your GPS in your car.
Well, hopefully you follow your GPS, right?
(09:41):
When teams know they'll be held accountable in
a constructive way, they magically rise to the
occasion and take ownership of the outcome.
That's important.
Number seven, micromanaging undermines delegation.
So micromanaging is the quickest way to destroy
trust and paralyze progress.
(10:03):
When leaders delegate, but constantly interfere, they send
the message, I don't trust you.
This not only demoralizes the team, but it
also drains the leader's own energy and their
attention's focus.
The point of delegation is to free up
the leader to focus on vision, strategy, and
(10:24):
to not keep one hand on every task.
True leadership, folks, means stepping back so others
can step up.
Trust the process and the people behind it.
Too many times leaders feel, you know what,
I need to get in the spotlight.
No, you don't.
You need to realize that it's time to
let other people have a little bit of
the spotlight and see that goodness and how
(10:47):
they can shine through and how that can
benefit you and your team.
All right?
So if you understand these things, then hopefully
it'll make sense to you, okay?
Number eight, leadership creates a culture of shared
responsibility.
Delegation isn't a task, guys.
It's a culture.
Strong leaders foster environments where everyone feels responsible
(11:08):
for success.
They invite participation, encourage contribution, and recognize team
wins.
This culture of shared responsibility leads to better
decision-making because diverse perspectives are considered.
It removes hierarchy from the equation and brings
everyone to the table.
A team that shares ownership also shares in
the victories and the learning from failures.
(11:33):
Number nine, delegation boosts team agility and responsiveness.
Yeah, that's a mouthful of words, isn't it?
Sure.
In this fast-moving environment that we live
in every day, agility is essential.
Delegation increases a team's ability to pivot, adapt,
(11:53):
and of course respond to many different challenges
without waiting for a top-down direction from
someone.
When team members are empowered to make decisions
on their own from the ground up, they
seize the opportunities and avoid roadblocks more efficiently
(12:14):
than if they weren't given that opportunity.
Agile teams don't wait.
They act.
In other words, they're proactive, not reactive, and
that action is only possible when leaders trust
their people and provide the tools, authority, and
encouragement to lead from wherever they stand.
(12:35):
It's important to understand that when you have
a team, don't micromanage your team.
Okay?
I understand you've got to check in on
things, but don't micromanage them.
They don't like that, and it's also going
to make their productivity go way down.
Number 10, great decisions come from empowered teams.
So if you build the team up, they're
(12:56):
going to make some great decisions for you.
At the heart of every great decision is
a team that feels empowered to make it.
Empowerment fuels creativity, collaboration, and courage.
It turns past employees into active problem solvers.
When leaders delegate with clarity, trust, and purpose,
they create decision makers, not just doers.
(13:18):
These empowered teams move from simply executing plans
to shaping the future of the organization.
When everyone leads, everyone wins.
I know a lot of you will say
to me, John, you know, I can't lead
because someone else is leading.
No.
That's not true.
You see, when you're a leader, leaders can
(13:40):
work with each other.
Leaders have a way, been doing this for
a long time, of magically embracing people, embracing
their talents, embracing those strengths, and embracing those
weaknesses.
And when we truly embrace those talents and
those weaknesses, it's at that moment that we
create this shift, this really powerful opportunity.
(14:03):
Now guys, we're at that point in the
program that I love.
So I'm going to give you a personal
story for each point today, okay?
And it's my hope, okay, that by doing
this, folks, that you're going to be able
(14:25):
to really understand what I'm doing.
And when you do that, you're going to
say, you know what, John?
I didn't know that was possible.
I didn't know that I could do that.
I didn't know how I can empower someone.
Do you know how to empower your team?
Or do you just kind of give up
at the pass?
(14:47):
I mean, that's the thing.
If you don't know how to empower your
team, well, you should figure out how to
empower your team.
And I know that sounds like an oxymoron,
but I'm telling you the truth, guys.
If you can't empower your team, how can
you ever expect them to lead for you?
How can you ever expect them to be
autonomous, which you want them to be?
(15:08):
You don't want to micromanage them.
You don't want to know about every little
task.
You want them to be better, right?
You want them to learn at what it
is you're doing.
And I think that's a real key thing.
So my first one is this, delegation builds
trust and empowers others.
Years ago, I was working on a team
(15:30):
for a product launch that had a lot
riding on it.
I was used to doing most of the
critical work myself, but this time I handed
over some responsibility for the campaign to one
of my junior team members.
At first, I was nervous as you can't
believe, but I took the leap, shared clear
expectations and gave space.
(15:51):
What happened was they blew me away.
Not only did he exceed performance targets, but
he brought new ideas I never considered before.
That single one moment shifted my leadership style.
I learned that empowering someone doesn't just lift
the work off your shoulders.
(16:13):
It unlocks their brilliance.
And when we can stroke somebody's ego, not
for the wrong reasons, but for the right
reasons, I think that's something that a lot
of people like live for.
My second point is leadership guides decision-making
through vision.
When I started building my podcast platform a
(16:36):
while back, I kept getting bogged down in
the tiny decisions, branding, colors, gear, outreach, templates.
It wasn't until I took a step back
and wrote down my long-term vision to
inspire transformation through authentic stories.
See, that just felt right to me.
(16:58):
It all fell in place.
That vision became a filter for all decisions,
big and small, whether it was choosing a
guest or promoting a topic, I asked, does
this align with my core values and my
vision?
If it did, I proceeded.
If it didn't, I just moved on and
discarded that thought.
(17:19):
Vision gave me direction.
And my team knew exactly what we were
working toward.
They knew things that would waste my time,
so they got very good at disqualifying guests
that were not going to fit into my
repertoire for my brand.
Number three, guys, delegation prevents decision-making bottlenecks.
(17:44):
I once managed a small company before I
had my own, and every decision was ran
through me.
That was a big mistake.
Our team was very talented, but I was
the one stalling progress.
One week, we had a client emergency, and
everything froze because I was not reachable.
(18:04):
I was on a plane.
Well, I'm entitled to take a trip.
After that, I created decision trees, empowered our
leaders to act within their zones, and trusted
them to make calls.
The shift was massive, less waiting, more doing,
and we became faster, more adaptable, and everyone
felt more responsible.
It wasn't just efficient.
(18:25):
It was liberating, and when people really had
a serious question or decision, they reached out
to me.
Oftentimes, I said yes, but they just wanted
to reach out because they thought it was
something big, and they wanted to make sure
that they were on the right, let's say,
trajectory.
Number four, strong leaders match tasks with the
right people.
(18:45):
Now, this isn't just BS or propaganda.
This is the truth, guys.
True leaders understand this.
During a community fundraising campaign I ran, I
mistakenly assigned the social media strategy for this
campaign, even though I've been doing this for
a long time.
Someone who has, let's say, the ability to
work a lot better with spreadsheets than storytelling,
of course, it flopped.
(19:07):
Then I took time to reassess the team
strengths.
I reassigned tasks based on individual talents.
The data wizard handled donor tracking, and our
creative intern took over social media.
The result, engagement doubled, and donations soared.
Matching the right person to the right task
isn't just smart.
It's essential for success.
When you can get somebody into a position
(19:30):
that allows them to ignite their passion, their
passion, they light up.
They shine.
They deliver more than you ever could imagine.
Number five, guys, clear communication is essential in
delegation.
I don't know why people today think that
(19:51):
they don't need to communicate anymore, but I
have to tell you, communication is not just
something that you would, let's say, expect.
It's something that you will start to appreciate.
(20:14):
Clear communication is essential in delegation.
One summer, I was working on a non
-profit event, where I asked a volunteer to
handle the check-in process.
I thought I was being clear.
But on the day of the event, chaos
just sort of reigned from everywhere.
No name tags, no seating order, no guest
list at the front.
(20:36):
It's like, oh boy, what am I going
to do?
My instructions had been vague.
That taught me a hard lesson.
Always communicate exactly what I need to have
done.
Now, when I delegate, I give context goals,
like, okay, you're going to handle the name
tags.
You're going to make sure the centerpieces are
done.
You're going to make sure that our guests
(20:57):
are taken care of when they arrive.
You're going to make sure that the food
is all ready and correct.
So I give context to everything now.
It's not micromanaging.
It's respecting the process.
I think when you can give a context
or something, that's not micromanaging.
Micromanaging is when you're checking in on somebody
(21:18):
every five seconds, right?
But if I say, gee, I need you
to do this and I need it to
be around this with this type of thing,
people appreciate that.
That's not micromanaging.
Number six, accountability supports better outcomes.
Now, this is something you'd be like, John,
I don't understand this at all.
(21:39):
Well, we talked about the importance of outcomes
and of accountability.
In a previous leadership workshop I hosted, one
of the teams, let's say, slacked off during
the challenging part of it, and they missed
a major deadline for us.
When I asked what went wrong, no one
felt responsible.
(22:00):
That was my wake-up call.
I hadn't set clear checkpoints or assigned owners.
Since then, I implement accountability systems, shared dashboards,
weekly check-ins, progress reviews.
Now, people know what's expected, and they show
it because they know their scene.
Accountability isn't pressure.
It's structured with support.
(22:20):
I put together a flow chart, explain to
people who needs to make this check-in.
Well, when it comes to food, you've got
to talk to Joe.
When it comes to this, you've got to
talk to Mike.
When it comes to this, you've got to
come to Fred.
This one, you come to Tom.
Then when anything's above that, you need to
come to me.
I didn't need to get involved with a
(22:41):
lot of things.
I was mostly involved with things like how
much money we were going to spend and
whether I wanted to move forward with something
after somebody had given me a report.
That's important, guys.
Accountability is your key to success.
If you're not being successful because of your
accountability, well, that's your leader's fault.
(23:02):
I can't fault you because you don't necessarily
know which way you're going.
Number seven, micromanaging undermines delegation.
There was a time early in my leadership
journey when I had my hands in everything,
approving every email, rewriting every proposal, and even
tweaking slide fonts.
I thought I was helping, but I was
(23:22):
suffocating the team.
One brave teammate finally pulled me aside and
said, hey, we can't grow if you won't
let go.
That was the mirror I needed.
I stepped back, and surprise, things got better.
People felt trusted and ideas flowed.
Micromanagement may feel safe, but it kills innovation
(23:43):
and motivation, and it gets people to basically
not try.
They don't even expand because they feel that
they can't live up to anything.
Number eight, guys, leadership creates a culture of
shared responsibility.
I once volunteered for a charity building project
(24:03):
where leadership encouraged every volunteer to pitch in
ideas, regardless of the role, from architects to
teenagers painting walls.
Everyone felt like a stakeholder.
There was no hierarchy, just shared responsibility.
When one person forgot to bring tools, another
jumped in without blame.
That atmosphere created deep camaraderie and momentum.
(24:26):
Shared responsibility doesn't mean shared confusion.
It means collective ownership and pride in the
outcome.
I want to ask you something, folks.
Do you take pride in your outcome?
Does your team take pride in your outcome?
Or is it just about, well, if it's
not the way we want it, then we
just decide to play the blame game?
(24:48):
I think that's an important thing to understand,
because if you understand that, then maybe you'll
be able to change, just maybe.
And if you understand what it is, then
maybe you can shape things a different way.
(25:11):
And I know that can seem scary at
first, but it really has the potential to
transform your entire life.
So what are you waiting for?
Why not give that a try right now?
Delegation boosts team agility and responsiveness.
A few years ago, I co-led a
business pitch completion.
(25:31):
When one of our presenters fell ill an
hour before we went on, panic started to
rise.
But because we had delegated presentation roles and
cross-trained our team, another member stepped in
seamlessly.
No waiting, no panic, just action.
And agility like that only happens when teams
are trusted to lead and equipped to do
(25:53):
so.
Delegation isn't a fallback.
It's a forward-thinking strategy.
So I think we always have to realize
that, whether you're in a play, whether you're
in production, you have to realize that you've
got to make sure you've got your backup.
Our last point and my last story.
Number 10, great decisions come from empowered teams.
I'll never forget a product design sprint I
(26:15):
ran where I deliberately took a backseat.
Instead of steering the team, I facilitated and
encouraged what was going on.
What unfolded was magic.
Developers suggested usability, changes, marketers rethought messaging, and
designers took bold, creative leaps.
The final product wasn't just good, it was
(26:37):
revolutionary, outstanding.
That experience taught me when teams feel empowered,
they make decisions that surprise even the leaders.
It's not about building a room full of
people who feel smart enough to lead.
It's about creating a culture that gets people
(26:57):
to lead.
And so leading doesn't mean that somebody has
to get up on stage and dictate something.
No, it doesn't mean that they have to
manage an entire project.
Leading means that they're going to take a
few accountability points and they're going to own
(27:18):
them and they're going to be responsible for
how they work.
Now, they may know nothing about those things,
but they're going to make it their responsibility
to own it.
You ever called somebody like, you know, a
customer service representative and they just kind of
push you around, but how about the one
that actually decides to own the problem or
the challenge?
(27:40):
Even if they don't help you, you're just
so happy that they're going to own it.
They're like, uh, Mr. Molloy, don't worry, we're
going to follow this through and I'm going
to make sure that everything happens and I'll
follow up with you tomorrow.
And even though I'm not directly involved, but
I'm going to make sure the right people
get involved.
So this issue gets resolved immediately.
That's how you run a successful business.
That's how you run successful leadership teams.
(28:02):
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm John C.
Molloy, serial entrepreneur.
So it's a privilege, pleasure to interview with
you guys in these amazing mornings, days, evenings
and weekends every time.
And I'll catch you soon on the show,
but check out believemeachieved.com.
Have yourself a fantastic evening, everyone.
Be well.
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