When I became an Assistant Principal at 29, I fell into a common trap. I thought that to earn respect, I had to be the hardest worker in the room. I had to have my hands on everything.
I thought delegation meant laziness. I thought if I asked someone else to do a task, I was “pawing off grunt work.”
I was wrong.
I learned that hoarding work isn’t leadership; it’s a bottleneck. If everything has to go through me, I am slowing down my school.
More importantly, I realized that delegation isn’t about dumping busy work on people. It is about empowering them.
Here is how I shifted my mindset from “I have to do it myself” to “Who is the best person for this task?”—and why it made our school stronger.
The Myth of “Grunt Work”
We often feel guilty asking teachers to help with logistics (like planning a Curriculum Night or organizing a field trip) because we think we are burdening them.
But here is the truth: Teachers want to lead.
When I plan the entire Family Curriculum Night myself, it might get done. But it will be my vision, limited by my time and my creativity.
When I delegated the planning of our Winter Curriculum Night to a team led by a brilliant 4th-grade teacher, something amazing happened. She didn’t see it as “extra work.” She saw it as an opportunity to showcase her ideas. The event was infinitely better than anything I could have planned alone because she brought a teacher’s perspective.
The “Expertise” Trap
As a young administrator, it is easy to feel like you need to be the expert on everything. But that is mathematically impossible.
I am not the expert on 4th-grade math pacing. I am not the expert on Kindergarten phonics.
If I try to micromanage those decisions, I am insulting the professionals who do it every day.
- Humility in Leadership: Admitting “I don’t know” is a strength. It allows you to say, “You are the expert here. What do you think we should do?”
How to Delegate Without Dumpster-Firing
Delegation only works if you do it responsibly. You can’t just toss a project and walk away.
The Framework:
- Clear Expectations: “Here is the goal of the event.”
- Clear Parameters: “Here is the budget and the timeline.”
- Clear Autonomy: “How you get there is up to you.”
When I stepped back and let that 4th-grade teacher lead, I didn’t disappear. I checked in. I supported. But I got out of her way.
The Takeaway
If you are drowning in work because you are afraid to ask for help, you aren’t being a hero. You are robbing your staff of the chance to grow.
Your job isn’t to play every instrument in the orchestra. Your job is to conduct.
Let your people play.