Direct, Delegate, Disappear – The 3-D’s of Leadership

Many years ago, I had a boss who told me that there were 3D’s of leadership, and that they were to direct, delegate, then disappear.  I spent quite some time thinking about this.  It wasn’t until I came into a position of leadership myself that I understood—having become a leader/manager of people who performed the very same tasks I was previously performing.  At that instance, the echoes of those words became church bells ringing in my head.  I got it.  And ‘Oh My’, my old boss was right on the mark.  Here is what I’ve learned.

Direct:  If you read my post on Priorities, you know that without giving clear direction along with a due date, your people may just make your request a “Priority 3”.  When directing, a due date of when you expect the task to be complete must be given.  Without it, they will get to the task when they can and you cannot complain about not getting it when you wanted.  Also, when directing, be clear of your expectations.  It is impossible for your employees to know what you want if you do not communicate your desired outcome with them.  To ensure you are clear, ask open ended questions to verify they received your message.

Delegate:  One of the most important aspects of leadership is when you delegate.  Delegating tasks is NOT to just give them work, but to empower them with the ability to make needed decisions to complete the task without stopping each time to get your permission to make necessary changes.  Make sure you empower your employees by giving them the tools to perform the task at hand, which include the ability to make necessary decisions to complete the task.

Admiral Hyman Rickover, the Father of Naval Nuclear Power says "Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. Even if you do not recognize it or admit its presence, you cannot escape it. If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion or ignorance or passing the blame can pass the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible."

So remember, although you can hold your people accountable for their work, you are still responsible for the job.

Disappear:  Toughest part of the job, especially if they are performing work you use to perform.  It is very difficult for us too not stand over our people and see how they are doing the job and then correct them when they are doing it differently than the way you would have done it.  My best example of this is if I put you in Downtown L.A. and ask you to drive me to the beach.  I may have a certain way I expect you to go, as that is how I would have gone, except there are probably an infinite number of ways to get us to the beach.  No one way is more right than the other if your goal is just to get there.  There may be more efficient ways, but how will they ever learn if you do not just leave them alone to find out on their own.  With that being said, YOU MUST FOLLOW-UP DURING THE JOB!  If you just leave, and never check in, you may be telling them that the task is not important to you.  This just gives them the thought that you only give them work that is not worthy of you.  Also, by following up, you can inquire if they have any questions.  They may be too afraid or just too busy to ask you questions, so this really helps them.  And lastly, by following up, you can be checking on their progress and maybe giving slight course adjustments to help them overcome obstacles that you have learned from the past.

Once again, I am open to your input.  Please share this with people you feel may either learn from or add to this blog.  Your input is what will really make this blog work for all of us.