Effective Training Associates

To be an effective team leader, learn to delegate

The good news is that you have been promoted to management! You are now the leader for a talented team of tech professionals. But you are likely to soon find that the work ethic that earned you the promotion -your technical skills, razor-sharp focus and persistence until the job is done- are not a lot of help in managing a team. In fact, those qualities are a detriment to leading a team effectively. Instead, you must learn the art of delegating.

As Jesse Sostrin, Global Head of People Leadership Development at Salesforce, noted in a Harvard Business Review article, you must learn to embrace the leadership paradox: to be more essential, and less involved. You are essential because you are the one who communicates the significance of your project in such a way that your team is inspired and empowered to contribute their best work. You are less involved because any tendency to hold on to a project or to lead simply by dictating orders will backfire.

What if you weren't there?

The most direct way to approach delegating is to ask yourself a question: If you were away for a week, how would your project advance in your absence? If you are not confident that work would progress, you can bet that you are over-involved in the nitty-gritty of your project, and you need to improve your delegation skills.

Have a clear strategy of how to engage and delegate

Salesforce’s Sostrin points to four strategies that lead to effective engagement and delegation:

1. Start with your big picture

Provide your team with the big picture – what’s at stake, and how this project is an opportunity to deliver a significant contribution to your customers and your company. State these priorities not just as a business justification, but also as your personal goal and expectation- you can’t motivate somebody to care about a project unless you can express why it matters to you. Make sure you have this talk with the team at the git-go, to ensure engagement and to increase personal relevance.

2. Inspire commitment

Make clear the scope of work for each team member and how it aligns with their capabilities. People engage and commit only when they understand how their role is essential to making it happen. Confirm their interpretation face-to-face or at least voice-to-voice – emails are impersonal and can be ignored or misinterpreted.

3. Engage at the right level

Engagement is a balancing act: Too involved, and you could consciously or inadvertently micromanage your teammates; too hands-off, and you could miss critical moments where a supportive comment or constructive feedback would move the project forward. To find the balance, personalize your role – ask people if they are comfortable with your input or would like more or less of it. Their response not only helps you know how often to intercede, but also empowers the individual team member to meet expectations

4. Practice saying “yes,” “yes but,” and “no.”

Delegating is the art of listening and being selective in how you respond. When a request comes your way that fits your expertise, say “yes,” and get involved. When the request and your skills don’t align, say “yes” but immediately identify the right team member or third party who can provide the right expertise. Say “no” when the request fails to align with project goals – but make sure that you explain your reasons, so that the team member can realign with the project goals and deliverable.

How to improve your delegating skills.

You become a successful leader by learning how to empower others to deliver their best. Over time, this approach will also benefit your team, as individuals also learn how to become more essential and less involved.

In making this transition to leadership, simple “on-the-job” training is not an efficient way to learn. A better way to learn the skills of delegating and goal setting is to start with an interactive webinar, like Silicon Valley’s Effective Training Associates’ “Delegating, Goal Setting, and Engagement” webinar, which helps you identify and communicate project goals and better engage with individuals and your team.

Contact Effective Training Associates (ETA) to learn more about delegating and other essential skills of project and people management.

Visit our website: effectivetraining.com
Visit ETA on LinkedIn
Give ETA a call at (408) 441-8881

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Robert Decker

ROBERT BECKER

Management & Leadership Advisor

ROBERT BECKER brings over twenty years of experience as a facilitator, coach, and learning strategist across the technology, healthcare, and financial services industries. For more than a decade at Salesforce, he led global management development programs that reached thousands of managers each year—shaping the company’s leadership culture through initiatives like Manage the Salesforce Way, Manager Certification, and Managing at Salesforce.

Earlier in his career, Rob held leadership roles at American Express, Visa, and Blue Shield of California, where he designed and delivered programs that helped leaders elevate performance, engagement, and the employee experience.

In front of a room, Rob is part strategist, part storyteller, and part stand-up comedian—believing that learning sticks best when people are laughing and leaning in. His sessions are dynamic, grounded, and human-centered, reflecting his core values of clarity, creativity, and customer experience. As an instructional designer, he’s known for transforming complex leadership ideas into practical, actionable insights that managers can immediately apply.

A Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) practitioner, Rob brings depth in both coaching and assessment, helping leaders understand how they think, connect, and lead more effectively.

When not facilitating, Rob can often be found behind a camera lens—applying his creative eye to photography and finding new ways to see the world.

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