How Can Authority Nurture Responsibility

Leadership Mastery: Strategic Delegation –

How Can Authority Nurture Responsibility

Strategic Delegation: Responsibility and Authority, both go hand in hand; you can’t separate them. It is stupid to demand Responsibility from someone who doesn’t have Authority, even in the basic form of it, such as over their time management or the assignment of resources for tasks they are given. It’s like blaming someone because it’s raining outside when it’s clear he has no Authority on the weather. 

The main difference between simple task delegation and strategic delegation lies in the question of ‘Authority’. A person devoid of any kind of Authority in performing their job or executing a specific task is merely an executive “tool” that follows orders. Their Responsibility is limited to the execution of the task, and there, their accountability ends. They cannot be held responsible for the outcome of the more strategic aspect of the task or its implications. If they fail to execute the task as directed, then we can hold them accountable. However, if the outcome of a perfectly executed task turns out to be disastrous for the overall goals of the strategic intention, and assuming they had no Authority over how, when, or what this task should look like, then they cannot be held responsible nor accountable for the outcomes. It solely lies in the lap of the decision-makers.

Authority doesn’t mean Autonomy. It means you have delegated part of your Authority to another person, either permanently or temporarily, depending on the issue at hand. When you delegate Authority, as an entrepreneur or a general manager, or even as a private person, that does not absolve you from the Responsibility itself. Once you’ve delegated, your duty is to ensure that the Authority is well managed and not misused, and that the person who has been delegated with it is delivering productive results, all while upholding the company’s policies and directives in full. 

The Responsibility of a delegated Authority requires the person to uphold the general values and principles of the organization, keeping in mind that their “slice” of the results, in whose name the Authority was delegated, serves the goals we outlined. A manager or a person who was delegated with Authority should bear in mind the impact, contributions, and consequences their results have on the larger goals,and how those actions bring the organization a step closer to achieving those goals. The actions of the Authority need always to be in alignment with the goal it serves, while the Responsibility and accountability should always be measured by two dimensions at least- the execution’s dimension itself and the impact that execution, in its relevant form, had on achieving the goals.

Demanding Responsibility from someone who has no Authority over how things are made is foolish and demonstrates bad leadership and lack of accountability on our part. To demand and hold someone accountable for their Responsibility, that individual needs to have the Authority to make their own decisions. Failing to do so puts us in the position of micromanaging our managers and employees, denying them the opportunity to bring their unique value to the table or to express their abilities, and blinds us to the bigger picture, failing to see the synergy and the harmony of all the moving parts, and draining our energy.

Unfortunately, many executives or managers tend to be afraid of delegating Authority to their subordinates. This fear can originate from several sources, the most common ones being a lack of confidence or poor leadership. Either way, the disastrous implications for our organization are enormous, even though they might be hidden from our sight in real time. 

One of the most immediate and associated implications is that of micromanagement. Micromanagement is detrimental in so many ways and beneficial in so few, very narrow, and specific cases. It transforms our teams from potential innovation and growth engines into merely individuals following instructions, working separately. If we take a retail chain’s regional manager for example, who refuses to delegate Authority to store managers, insisting on approving all inventory orders personally. This micromanagement leads to delays in restocking, missed sales opportunities during peak shopping seasons, and frustration among store managers. The impact of failing to delegate takes a toll on operational efficiency and employee morale.

A leader who declines to delegate Authority to others because they fear those individuals will gain some power over them or make mistakes is acting out of a lack of confidence. They believe they cannot lead their people without explicit authority or manage others who have knowledge that they, the leaders, do not. Alternatively, it may originate from poor leadership, when we fail to understand that empowered staff will most likely bring a synergy to the table that has the potential to boost our efforts, and the mere understanding that empowered managers and staff, given a portion of our authority, will be a much more driven force than those who simply “do as they are told.”

As I said earlier, Authority delegated to our subordinates does not equate to Autonomy. It is given in the context of certain responsibilities and serves as a portion of legitimacy bestowed by us upon them, enabling them to perform their jobs in the best way possible. This Authority also allows them to maintain an elaborate “playground” that gives them the ability to bring their own creativity, professionalism, and leadership to the table. This is imperative for maximizing synergy since it enables them to contribute that part of themselves that we didn’t initially have.

For example,  a tech company’s CEO delegates the development of a new software product to a team, giving the team leader full Authority over decision-making in the project’s scope. The team leader, empowered by this Authority, is able to make swift decisions, innovate, and adapt to challenges, leading to the successful launch of the product ahead of schedule. This shows how delegating Authority can foster innovation and efficiency.

On the other hand, it’s not Autonomy, since we, as leaders of our organization, hold the overall administrative Responsibility and accountability for the performance of our business or project, be it personal or professional. This overall Responsibility does not vanish with the delegation of Authority; on the contrary, it enhances our Responsibility to oversee and supervise the use of that Authority and to ensure that it is used in an ethical and productive manner.

Besides the benefits of delegation I mentioned earlier (which are just a few among many), another very impactful benefit comes to us as leaders as well. This is the benefit of Time. By delegating, we free up time for ourselves, which we can utilize in domains that only we can manage, such as strategic planning or activities, networking and collaborations, or using the time to rise above the “trees” of daily activities and truly see the “forest.” This allows us to have a better understanding of the direction we are heading, recognizing risks and opportunities, and ensuring that tactical activities are aligning with and serving our strategic goals.

It is important to remember that as leaders, we hold the Administrative Responsibility and Accountability for the performance of our business, from which we extend our duty to supervise, monitor, and direct those who hold the delegated Authority and therefore have the operational and semi-strategic Responsibility.

So, in conclusion, if you have a business or a project or even just a personal endeavor, and you have employees or partners, insure that you tailor a suitable Authority to delegate to those working with you, in order to expand their abilities and flexibility to execute their Responsibilities. Craft a system that is compatible with your project or business that can allow you to execute your Executive Responsibility and supervise the use of the Authority you gave to others. This will ensure that people around you will have the drive and the incentives to maximize their inputs and strive to excel in their performance while giving you the ability to assess the overall activity and achievements in your multitask environment, advance strategic thinking and operations, make educated decisions and assessments, and at the same time, giving you the ability to supervise, direct, and redirect the efforts of your staff.

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