Why Delegation is the Most Underrated Skill in Business
In business, some skills are praised to the skies—salesmanship, resilience, vision. Delegation rarely makes the cut. It’s viewed as something optional, something you’ll get around to once things calm down. Yet ask any seasoned entrepreneur or long-standing business owner what made the real difference over time, and they’ll often say this: I stopped trying to do it all myself.
That sounds deceptively simple. But it’s one of the hardest and most transformative decisions a business owner can make.
In the UK, where 5.5 million small businesses form the backbone of the economy, founders and directors are wearing multiple hats, often to the point of exhaustion. The Office for National Statistics has shown that small business owners work longer hours than their employed peers, and stress-related illness is on the rise. It’s no coincidence that the people doing everything are often the ones on the edge of burnout.
Delegation isn’t about giving up control. It’s about shifting your role from task-doer to strategic thinker. And for any business that wants to grow, that shift is essential.
The Real Cost of Doing It All
Let’s take a moment to think about the maths. If you’re running a business and spending hours each week on tasks worth £15–£20 an hour—email admin, basic design, stock checks—you’re costing your business more than you’re saving. Your time is worth more. If you’re the person responsible for driving revenue, strategy and innovation, then every hour you spend on something tactical is a missed opportunity.
And it’s not just about money. It’s about mental load. The more decisions you make in a day, the worse your decision-making becomes. This is known as decision fatigue, and it’s been observed everywhere from courtrooms to call centres. When you remove yourself from decisions that don’t require your brainpower, you preserve your clarity for the ones that do.
Yet delegation doesn’t come naturally to most. It runs against the grain of how many businesses start—one person doing everything, learning fast, bootstrapping their way through. That culture, while resourceful, often becomes a trap.
Why Entrepreneurs Hesitate to Delegate
There are a few reasons, and none of them is unusual.
“No one can do it like I can.” Possibly true—but is it good enough? Perfectionism is often a mask for fear. Your way might be best, but good-enough done by someone else is usually better than perfect-but-late done by you.
“It’s faster to do it myself.” It might be—once. But how about the 15th time? Delegation is an investment. The first time takes longer. After that, it starts paying you back.
“What if they mess it up?” Then you fix it. Mistakes happen, but they happen whether you're involved or not. And they’re the fastest route to learning—for you and your team.
It’s worth remembering that delegation is not abdication. You’re still responsible for the outcome. But you’re no longer the one typing every email or packing every box. You’re orchestrating, not performing every instrument.
Delegation and Culture: More Connected Than You Think
Strong delegation practices don’t just lighten the load—they shape culture. When employees are trusted with responsibility, they tend to rise to it. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) points to trust and autonomy as two of the most consistent drivers of employee engagement in the workforce.
The benefits ripple outward. A team that’s engaged and confident is more likely to solve problems proactively, make smart decisions, and stay with the company long-term. If your business has high turnover or a sense of stagnation, it might be worth asking: are you giving your people enough room to grow?
In many ways, delegation is the first sign of scalable leadership. It’s what turns a business from a founder-led hustle into a team-powered enterprise. That’s the difference between working a job and building a company.
Smart Delegation in Practice
Here’s where the practical side kicks in. Delegation doesn’t mean creating chaos or throwing tasks at people and hoping they stick. It works best when it’s intentional. A few guiding principles:
Know what only you can do.
If you’re the only person who can pitch to investors or close deals—keep that. But if you’re also scheduling social posts and filing VAT returns, it’s time to hand them off.
Match task to skill.
Delegation isn’t just about lightening your load. It’s about using the right person for the job. Give people tasks that play to their strengths, not just what you don’t want to do.
Be specific.
Ambiguity is the enemy of good delegation. Explain the goal, set parameters, and let the person find their way to the outcome.
Provide feedback and follow-up.
Delegation works when people feel supported. Check in at the right intervals—not every five minutes, but not weeks later either.
Use tools to help.
Project management software like Trello or Asana, shared calendars, and file systems can reduce the friction of handing off work.
Letting Go, Growing Up
A business that runs entirely around one person is fragile. One illness, one family emergency, one week off, and everything stalls. Delegation builds resilience. It allows your business to function, grow and evolve beyond your personal limits.
That’s not just smart leadership—it’s sustainable leadership.
No one builds anything worthwhile alone. The sooner you delegate, the sooner you stop being the bottleneck and start being the reason your business can expand.
So yes, delegation is underrated. But not for long.
