The OPEX Tools Series | #11 - The Art of Delegation: How to Free Up Your Time for High-Value Work
You Don’t Have to Do Everything Yourself.
Welcome to the unique weekly article for the Paid subscribers-only edition.
This is the #11 article of The OPEX Tools Series.
Outlines and Key Takeaways
You Don’t Have to Do Everything Yourself
Why Delegation Is a Strategic Skill, Not a Weakness
Operational Excellence Tool: The RACI Matrix
Common Delegation Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Action Step: Start Delegating Today
Final Thought: Let Go to Level Up
You Don’t Have to Do Everything Yourself
One of the most persistent myths in business leadership—especially among high-performing founders, executives, and team leads—is that doing more yourself means being more effective. In reality, the opposite is true: when leaders try to do everything, they become the bottleneck.
Over-functioning at the top of an organization creates a ripple effect that slows down decisions, erodes trust, and suppresses innovation. While hustle culture glorifies self-reliance, research consistently shows that ineffective delegation costs organizations both time and talent.
What the Data Tells Us
According to Asana’s 2022 Anatomy of Work Global Report, knowledge workers spend an average of 60% of their time on “work about work”—activities like chasing status updates, attending redundant meetings, toggling between tools, and doing low-leverage administrative tasks. That leaves just 40% of their time for high-value, strategic, or creative work.
Even more alarming, 80% of employees report feeling consistently overworked or on the edge of burnout. One of the root causes? They don’t have the clarity or capacity to focus—because their leaders don’t delegate effectively.