How to delegate

Have you ever found yourself drowning in tasks that others could do, but somehow you're still doing them yourself? Today, Shane Leaning shares a framework that completely transformed how he delegates - and might give you back hours of your week.

In this episode, Shane explores the nine levels of delegation developed by the late Tim Brighouse, a renowned British educationalist. This framework provides a clear spectrum from essentially no delegation to complete handover of responsibility.

Key Insights:

• Most leaders default to lower levels of delegation due to habits, politeness, or control preferences
• Clarity is crucial - most delegation problems stem from unclear expectations
• Match your delegation approach to both the task complexity and the person's experience
• Cultural differences significantly impact how delegation is received and should be considered
• Progressive delegation can develop team members' skills and confidence over time
• The same person might handle different tasks at different delegation levels depending on context

Challenge:

Try being explicitly clear about your delegation level in at least three conversations next week. Use the framework and see what happens when you're transparent about expectations.

Episode Partner

The International Curriculum Association: Learn more

Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is [email protected].

About the host

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chart-topping school leadership podcast, Education Leaders. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. He is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn.

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