Delegating work effectively is an integral element of strong leadership, but knowing how to

delegate is not an innate skill. For many leaders, the intense self-drive and work ethic that
enabled their ascent up the leadership ladder is also what prevents them from delegating
as often as they should.

While commanding the helm of an organization often means wearing many hats, wearing
too many can knock you off balance. Furthermore, great teams — comprised of individuals
with diverse areas of expertise and backgrounds — are more than well-equipped to share
the workload.

Here are seven rules for effective delegation, according to Entrepreneur.

1. Make delegation a rule: You don't have to do all of the work yourself in order to
have a sense of ownership in it. Sharing tasks with team members won't dilute your
sense of ownership. On the other hand, doing so will encourage others to become
more engaged and feel a greater sense of ownership of their own, thus improving
the quality and value of the work.

2. Be proactive: Don't wait until you're overwhelmed and at the brink of burnout to start
delegating. Instead, recognize when your work is beginning to mount and take the
necessary measures to address the demands you are facing. This could include
hiring someone new or teaching someone the skills required to execute a portion of
your work, according to the report.

3. Be aware of your team's strengths and weaknesses: Each team member brings
different skills and shortcomings to the table, so delegation decisions should cater to
these individual traits.

4. Be a teacher: Part of the reason some leaders are apprehensive about delegating is
they believe they are the only ones who knows how to do certain requirements of the
job. This may be true, but that doesn't mean you can't teach someone else how to do
it, according to the report. While teaching someone how to pick up a new skill or
complete a task may take longer than finishing the task yourself, it sets those
individuals up to complete the task without you in the future.

5. Establish clear expectations: It is important to be as specific as possible about

your expectations, including how you expect the task to be completed and when,
according to Entrepreneur. If there are multiple people working together on a project,
establish clear responsibilities for each, and name one person as the leader for the
project. Take time to address questions and confusion in the beginning to prevent
problems down the road.

6. Keep communication open: You can trust your team to do the best job they're
capable of or you wouldn't have hired them. Once you assign a task and set the
expectations, trust that they will execute it. However, it is important to keep lines of
communication open and verify progress.

7. Give and receive feedback: Once the task is complete, be sure to give feedback. If
they handled it improperly, let your team know how they can improve next time. Also,
ask your team what they thought of your assignment and instructions. This feedback
will help you improve your delegation process.