You probably agree that delegating sounds great in theory, but in real life? It’s messy. It feels like something you’ll do later, once you’re more organized, once the team grows, or once you catch your breath. But here’s another angle, if you’re already feeling stretched, delegation is probably the thing that helps you get to those next steps. You don’t need a perfect process. You don’t necessarily need a bigger team. You need a way to reclaim a little breathing room.
The False Starting Line: “I’ll Delegate When…”
A lot of small business owners and other leaders believe they need to have it all figured out before they can ask for help. A clear list. Documented systems. A new full-time role. But more often, the need is simpler and sneaker: a growing pile of one-off tasks that no longer fit in your day but keep demanding your time.
Delegation gets easier when you stop asking ‘Can I do this?” and start asking, “Does the business need me to do this?” That shift opens up entirely new possibilities. What would it look like to name the kind of work the business actually needs right now and then see where you fit in as one person on that team? The gap between what’s needed and what you can personally carry? That’s your opportunity to delegate.
Why We Keep Holding On
Even when there’s a team, leaders tend to grip tight to things that are technically within their skillset. Things they’ve always done. Things that feel too small to pass off. Things that feel a little awkward to give away because they don’t fit cleanly into someone else’s job description. Or maybe they’ve never hired help like a fractional COO before because they didn’t know help like this even exists.
We also hold on because we worry. About the cost. About the quality. About whether we’re allowed to let go of something that feels “doable”. But the cost of keeping it all? It adds up in ways that don’t always show up on paper—like fatigue, missed opportunities, and slow-burn resentment.
A good starting point? Revisit your vision and ask:
1 What do I absolutely need to do to move the business forward?
2 What do I genuinely love doing and want to keep?
Anything that doesn’t show up in those two answers is a good place to begin letting go.
The Shift That Makes Delegation Work
No one else is going to do it exactly the way you do. Let’s just name that for what it is. But when you prepare well and offer ongoing support, you don’t need a perfect replica… you need traction. A way forward that makes space for work that only you can do.
The bigger shift here? Believing your leadership matters enough to be protected. You ‘re not a machine. If you’re constantly drained, your clarity, creativity, and confidence all take a hit. Most owners don’t realize how different leadership feels until they experience what it means to be well-supported.
What Over-functioning Really Looks Like
It’s easy to miss when you’re doing “too much”, especially when you’re good at it. But here are a few signs:
- You’re the go-to person for questions—constantly.
- You’re juggling several areas of business at once.
- You’re doing a lot, but not finishing much.
- You can’t remember the last time you took a true break without fearing what you’d come back to.
Being productive doesn’t always mean you’re making progress. Especially if you’re not the one deciding what gets your energy.
Reclaim Your 10%: The Small Win With a Big Ripple
Most business owners I work with show up overwhelmed. They’re in over their heads and don’t know how to get out of it. So we start small, really small.
Reclaim Your 10™ isn’t about solving everything. It’s about shifting something. One step. One corner of space cleared. One task that no longer takes up your mental energy.
Here’s where we begin:
1 Write down what’s been on your mind or in your inbox.
2 Look at that list and ask:
- What’s actually urgent?
- What’s important but on pause?
- What’s on here because of obligation?
- What are you actively dreading?
That list holds clues. Most people don’t realize how heavy their load is until they see it on paper, and then start imagining what it would feel like to finally hand off just a piece of it.
A Client Moment That Says It All
A client came in with a long list of things they thought they “should” be able to figure out on their own. But the pile of notices on their desk, and the late fees racking up, told a different story.
Shortly after handing them over they shared, “This is the best money I’ve ever spent.”
The handoff didn’t just free up time. It provided momentum and headspace to start addressing things they hadn’t even realized were in need.
If You’re Holding the List, Wondering Where to Start
First of all, you’re not failing. You’re just maxed out. that’s a sign of growth, not weakness.
So here’s your first step: pick one thing on the list and just let it go. Don’t overthink it. Don’t circle back. Just trust that if it’s truly important, it’ll come back around. And if it doesn’t? That’s good data, too.
And if you’re ready for more clarity on what help you actually need—especially the kind of support that protects your time, sharpens your focus, and lightens your load—you might love the Full Leadership Profile. It’s a smart, simple way to finally make sense of your list, your role, and what’s next for the business you’re building.
