Delegation and Leadership

Delegation and Leadership Tracy H. Aitken Virginia Commonwealth University

Delegation and Leadership

Leadership is fluid. It moves among the principles of individual and shared responsibility along with the development of all stakeholders in leadership roles. A leader is self-aware and cognizant of personal strengths and weaknesses. This metacognition inspires a leader to develop a multi-frame approach to leadership tasks and influences how the organization and its roles are viewed. An effective leader is self-aware. This self-awareness of my own strengths and weaknesses allows me to share my strengths with others, while at the same time seeking support and input from followers when acknowledging opportunities. Leaders who seek help when needed and who accept that they dont know all of the answers can be appreciated by others. An effective leader is an excellent communicator. A strong leader is one who knows how to reach a variety of people in a variety of ways. Knowing how and when to communicate, along with selecting the appropriate format, is vital to keeping lines of communication open and honest within an organization. An effective leader is open to new ideas and is resourceful. Acknowledging challenges, being aware of available resources to meet these challenges, and acceptance of innovative solutions to problems are vital traits of successful leadership. An effective leader leads by example. If a leader expects commitment, creativity, and consistency from his followers, then those qualities need to be modeled by example. A leader who walks the walk is respected and emulated. Finally, a leader must articulate and follow a clear mission. Demonstrating every day, through commitment and example, the leader can inspire followers to believe in the organizations mission and this should influence their work and behavior.

Delegation and Leadership

Although I am not in a traditional leadership position, I can nevertheless impact student learning at my school through actions I take when developing the library program and when I serve in teacher leadership capacities within my school and division. One area of opportunity that arose both from the Leadership 360 survey and through selfawareness is the leadership skill of delegation. This is an area in which I can improve through strategies and practice. Based on my LCI and Meyers Briggs assessments, both my leadership and personality traits tend toward solitary pursuits. Therefore, when working on a project or goal, I have a strong tendency to want to work on it alone. Recognizing that this is not always the most beneficial way (for both myself and my organization) to work provides an opportunity for me to grow as a developing leader. Research on delegation and shared leadership has provided valuable insight into strategies and methods that I might practice to strengthen my role as a facilitator and leader. Defining Delegation Websters dictionary defines the verb to delegate as to entrust to another authority and to assign responsibility or authority. According to LaCour and Tissington (2010, p. 59), leadership decision making can occur by either delegation or empowerment. They define delegation as an expression of authority which determines which tasks will be completed by which employees and empowerment as followers hav(ing) the freedom to complete tasks for the purpose of achieving the goals and visions of the institution. Thus, empowerment shares the decision making process between the leader and the followers. This is sometimes referred to as shared leadership. In their article, Klein, Ziegert, Knight, and Yan (2006) define four different types of delegation:

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contingent leadership, functional team leadership, shared team leadership, and flexible leadership. Contingent leadership arose in the 1960s and 1970s. In brief, the theories that support contingent leadership contend that leaders must match, or be matched to, the characteristics of the situation. Functional team leadership arose as more research focused on team-based work structures. The main function of a leader is to do, or get done, whatever is not being adequately handled for the group needs (Klein et al., 2006, p. 593). Shared team leadership involves multiple members of a team or organization enacting leadership informally, even with a present formal and designated leader. These teams are seen to lead one another to the achievement of organization or team goals (Klein et al., 2006, p. 593). Finally, flexible leadership requires leaders who can respond appropriately to a wide range of situations and changing conditions (Klein et al., 2006). Rationale for Delegation In todays high-stakes educational environment, the art of delegation seems to be waning. Superintendents, principals, and other educational leaders are taking on tasks that should be delegated, thinking that in order for a task to be done correctly, it needs to be completed without assistance from others. The stakes are further increased because the consequences for failing to meet accountability measures can be dire. Despite the intentions behind the go it alone approach, this solitary task orientation can encroach on the leaders time to concentrate on the big visions and goals needed to lead the organization forward. According to Wilhelm (2013, p. 62), Principals can no longer lead instructional reform alone. The voice and expertise of teachers are essential to improve teaching and learning.

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Outside of educational leadership, delegation is crucial to success in any field. ODonovan (2007, p. 82) points out that delegation makes the most of your resources, allows for greater overall productivity and builds the capacity of the people on your team. For leaders facing lengthy to do lists, shrinking windows of time and increasing accountability measures, delegation must seem appealing. Yet something bigger lies at the core of delegation- leadership. Using delegation strategies and skills, a leader can create a context in which people within the organization can be successful. Conditions can be created for leaders and followers to grow and for people to purposefully collaborate toward a common goal. Benefits of Delegation Empowering followers, which can ensure that all individuals work toward the vision and common goals of the organization, is one of the primary benefits of delegation. According to Volpe and Bloom (2011, p. 34), resulting benefits include increased staff motivation, increased competence, and more vibrant connections between team members. Within an educational setting, delegating responsibility to staff members helps them develop professionally and feel a sense of commitment. The leader also benefits. Lease (2009, p. 33) details the following advantages for leaders who delegate effectively: ! An increase in time and energy for important tasks. ! Feeling less pressure. ! Gaining from the wisdom and experience of others. ! Better health and enjoyment of life due to lessening of stress.

Delegation and Leadership

In her article on ways that women lead, Rosener (1990, p. 120) describes interactive leadership as encouraging participation and sharing power and information. Leaders engaged in this type of leadership create situations that enhance peoples sense of selfworth, which results in energized and committed followers. The benefit lies in the belief that people perform better when they feel good about themselves and their work. Barriers to Delegation Leaders feel a need to be in control. Many see information as power and the acquisition of this power as crucial to maintaining their status. In addition, soliciting ideas and information from others is time-consuming and often requires giving up a measure of control. It can also open the doors to criticism and expose weakness or conflict. In his article, Lease (2009) proposes three reasons why the leaders in his study avoided delegation: (1.)!They assume that only they can perform a task correctly. (2.)! Either because of accountability or the need to exercise power, they feel they have to be in control. (3.)! Paradoxically, they feel they are too busy to delegate, and can accomplish a task faster if they do it themselves. In contrast, leaders who embrace delegation and the sharing of power are able to lead more effectively. According to Rosener (1990), women who are comfortable letting power and information change hands are engaged in participatory management, which includes a comfort level with this exchange of power and information. These women leaders believe that sharing power sends a signal to their followers that they are trusted

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and their ideas are respected. This sharing of power and information allows the followers opportunities to solve problems and reach conclusions. They also believe that their followers perform better when they feel they are part of the organization and can share in its success. Types of Delegation As described earlier, there are many ways to characterize delegation or shared leadership. Rayner and Gunter describe a form of educational leadership that was part of a transformational workplace pilot program that took place in 32 schools in the United Kingdom. From the interview narratives, they reveal an education-based organizational life where leadership (was) relational and diffused (2005, p. 152). To achieve this, the school environment needs to be creative, flexible, and enabling of staff members. The Headmasters in this study were expected to shift their focus away from independence and toward the totality of the work that is to be performed by the organization, and so make visible the relationships and influence flows within people as the organization (Rayner & Gunter, 2005, p. 153). Rosener discusses a similar type of delegation, interactive leadership, in her article. She describes inclusion as being at the core of interactive leadership. At all points within her study interviews, Rosener describes women leaders referencing a strong effort to make people feel part of an organization. This is done in a variety of ways, including encouraging followers to have a say in all aspects of work and creating mechanisms that get people to participate. An example of one of these mechanisms is a bridge club. This would be an informal gathering of people over whom a leader has no direct control, but who have information the leader needs. The term bridge refers to the effort of bringing

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together followers with different functions and the term club alludes to the relaxed atmosphere of the gathering. Klein et al. (2006) describes an additional form of delegation as shared team leadership, in which multiple members of a team or organization enact an informal type of leadership, even in the presence of a designated leader. When leadership is seen as a process among members of a group working to achieve one or more goals, it can transcend the influence of the single leader. The article described one such team, of doctors and nurses in an emergency trauma center, where the deindividualized system of shared leadership became vital to achieving swift, reliable, and life-saving results. How to Delegate Good leaders recognize that those closest to the work know best how to build commitment and develop creative and viable solutions, and that empowering followers is a highly effective method of achieving goals. Once they have this understanding, they can utilize such helpful techniques as suggested by ODonovan (2007). A leader should prioritize which tasks are delegated, clarify the results and identify what success should look like, clearly define the scope and authority of the decision-making powers of the followers, and establish a timeline with monitoring points along the way. Lease (2009) offered an additional set of skills that leaders can deploy when delegating. These include observing the strengths and talents of the followers, being clear about expectations, goals, and accountability, communicating confidence in the individuals or teams, being accessible and providing feedback, and praising when a task is done well. The Importance of Delegating for School Administrators

Delegation and Leadership

Delegating requires a mindset that the work of the organization is done best when it is shared by workers who are empowered and knowledgable. This frees the leader to focus on important tasks and lessens the stress caused in a demanding work environment. The Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, offered a powerful appeal for delegation when he said The great leader is he who the people say, We did it ourselves. Sharing leadership is more complex than simply delegating. It is a dynamic process as well as developmental and ongoing. It can be shared with individuals or with teams. It is vital in todays high-stakes educational for school administrators to empower teachers. Principals often come and go and teachers sometimes appear as pawns implementing the next mandate. By delegating vital tasks to teacher leaders, an administrator is assuring the continuance and success of the schools mission, while developing ownership in the staff. School leaders are frequently over their heads in work demands. We ask more from schools and administrators in the areas of programming, assessment, communication, and accountability. At the same time, they are expected to stay current in a constantly changing educational and technological landscape with strong implications for core instruction, budgeting, professional development, and other areas. In a research article published by the Northern Association of Independent Schools, the authors spoke of overwhelming demands on school administrators. In the study, the authors discovered that administrators ranked big picture areas such as managing school climate and values, and working with their boards as the most demanding aspects. Following this were tasks such as managing the budget, raising funds, and planning. By delegating other school functions to competent and

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knowledgeable individuals, the administrator is freeing up valuable time to focus appropriate energy and attention to those big picture tasks. Good educational leaders, those who have refined the art of delegating, challenge their staff with tasks that match their capabilities. The benefits are multifold: delegation stretches people and provides staff enrichment; it makes them a more integral part of the school while increasing ownership in the schools mission and values; it builds a unified team spirit of people sharing common goals and celebrating in the organizations successes; and it enables administrators to be more focused and organized. An added benefit for the school leader is that when decision-making functions and their implementations are shared, the school staff gains a greater appreciation and insight into the role of that leader. School administrators and leaders in other areas are encouraged to embark on the journey of developing shared leadership with their followers. The need has never been greater, nor the opportunity more evident. What leaders and their followers can accomplish together is far greater than what can be accomplished alone. Reflection My Leadership 360 survey results show an area of opportunity in both team work and developing others. As mentioned earlier, my preference for solitary pursuits and individual work are prevalent in personality and leadership preference assessments such as Meyers Briggs and LCI. Like the administrators interviewed in the research surveys, I often feel that in order to get something done as I want it done, I need to complete it myself. In my position as a school librarian, this might be sufficient most of the time. However, as a teacher-leader who serves on the school accreditation council or the

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district evaluation standard-writing committee, this type of attitude is harmful to both myself and the tasks at hand. Acquiring the skills of delegation as described in my paper will enable me to become an improved team leader and perhaps enhance the perception of my leadership attributes in the eyes of my colleagues.

References Klein, K., Ziegert, J., Knight, A., & Yan, X. (2006). Dynamic delegation: shared, hierarchical, and deindividualized leadership in extreme action teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 51(4), 590-621. Lease, A. (2009). The art of delegation. American School Board Journal, 32-33. LaCour, M., & Tissington, L. (2010). What is quality leadership?. Academic Leadership, 8(3), 50-59. Neal, B. (2010). Heroes and sidekicks: ensuring proper followership. Training and Development, 76-78. O'Donovan, E. (2007). Building leadership through delegation. District Administration, (87-89). Volpe, B., & Bloom, P. J. (2011). Dare to delegate. Exchange, 34-37. Wilhelm, T. (2013). How principals cultivate shared leadership?. Educational Leadership, 62-66.