Does Telling People What to Do Make You a Tyrant? Hereโs โMYโ Truth About Delegation and Leadership
Letโs get one thing straight: telling people what to do doesnโt make you a tyrant. How you do it determines whether youโre a leader or a dictator. Leadership isnโt about barking orders or micromanaging every detailโitโs about empowering others to step into their potential while driving results that matter. But letโs face it: delegation can feel awkward, even uncomfortable. You over explain as though you are a martyr. You get frustrated and almost sound like a dictator. You worry about coming across as bossy or demanding and at the same time you ask yourself WTF - what are they not getting???? So, you hesitate, your nerves get in a twist and/or worse, you take everything on yourself. Been there and done it all so I have some thoughts to share: 1. Delegation isnโt about being bossyโitโs about being strategic. Itโs about building trust, giving clarity, and enabling your team to win. 2. Instead of โDo this,โ try โHereโs why this matters to our success and why youโre the right person to make it happen.โ People need to know why before theyโll care about the what. 3. Listen to feedback, be open to suggestions, and give the person ownership of the task. 4. Be clear about the result you want, the timeline, and the boundaries. Think of it as giving someone the map, not micromanaging every step. 5. Regular check-ins are leadership. Hovering is control. Trust the people youโve chosen, but stay accessible for support. Delegation isnโt about control; itโs about collaboration. Itโs the opposite of tyrannyโitโs trust in action. So, no, telling people what to do doesnโt make you a tyrant. It makes you a leaderโwhen done with respect, clarity, and purpose.