 A well-worn maxim of leadership is that the leaders should focus primarily on the things that only she has the authority or expertise to accomplish or decide. It is implied in this model that leaders should delegate everything else to others in the organization who can and should be doing those things. The problem is, of course, that many leaders don't delegate particularly well. This is understandable because leaders are the experienced experts in many things that are happening in any organization. The urge to take the reins and just do it is almost irresistible. After all, that action-oriented behavior is widely believed to be a large factor in leaders' career success. The enlightened leader understands, however, that the power of delegation cannot be understated. When we delegate, we bring about a host of positive outcomes. Most importantly, the leader that wisely delegates instills a strong sense of trust and buy-in with her people. Our people recognize that their leaders could likely do many of the same things they themselves do every day, so that when they are entrusted to these tasks and decisions, it is a strong sign of organizational trust. Effective delegation has the added advantage of freeing up the leader to tackle more appropriately focused challenges by looking out and across the organization instead of down and in. How will you approach delegation in the new year? Read well this week.