Delegation is hard. I’m finding delegating well to be much more challenging than doing things myself. Leading purely by example just requires effort and a willingness to do things that aren’t fun or glamorous, and as the leader you’re usually the most incentivized to get those things done. But effective delegation requires much more than mere will, it is a skill set developed with patience and learning and painful trial and error. It requires finding great people, training them in the skills you need them to have, motivating them to share your goals, empowering them with the resources and information to be successful, trusting them to do their jobs, and then giving them feedback on how to improve.

I’ve come to realize that hiring is probably the hardest and most important part of my job (and we are hiring). As my team grows and we are doing more and more, I’m finding myself having to make more choices about where I spend my time. If I have to let something go, I want to be damn sure it’s in good hands when I do.