If you’re like most leaders, the problem isn’t that you don’t want to delegate; it’s that you don’t know where to start. Everything feels important. Everything feels urgent. And if you’re already stretched thin, taking time to slow down and think about systems or delegation can feel like yet another task.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need to systemize or delegate everything. You just need to start with the right things.
Below is a simple framework to help you identify what should be systemized or delegated first so you can free up your capacity — without feeling like you’re losing control.
Start with what drains you, not what excites you.
Most people look for tasks they “don’t mind” handing off. That’s the wrong starting point.
You should begin with the tasks that:
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You dread doing
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You procrastinate on
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Require energy but not your expertise
If it exhausts you and someone else can do it — that’s a delegation candidate.
Look for repetition
Anything you’ve done more than three times is a system waiting to be born. Repetition = opportunity.
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Scheduling
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Invoicing
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Follow-up emails
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Onboarding steps
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Status updates
If it shows up on your calendar or to-do list again and again, it belongs in a system or in someone else’s hands.
Ask yourself: “Does this require me?”
Not, “Could I do it?” Because you can do almost anything.
The real question is:
“Does this require my expertise, decision-making, or relationships, or am I doing it because I always have?”
If the answer is “No, it doesn’t have to be me,” then it’s ready to be delegated.
Identify the hidden “micro-tasks” stealing time.
Often it’s not the big projects that drain leaders; it’s the dozens of small things between them:
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Copy/pasting information
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Rescheduling meetings
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Formatting a file
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Uploading or renaming documents
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Calendar coordination
Those “2-minute tasks” add up and choke your day. Delegating micro-tasks creates macro-relief.
Systemize before you scale
Delegation without systems creates chaos.
Systemizing before delegating creates freedom.
A simple first pass is enough to start:
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Write the steps roughly (not perfectly)
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Hand it off
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Let your assistant refine it as they execute
You don’t need finished systems to begin. You need documented starts that someone else can improve.
If you want to reclaim your time, the place to begin is simple:
Delegate what drains you.
Systemize what repeats.
Keep what requires you.
Start with those three filters, and your calendar, and your stress level will look very different in 60 days.
