From Optimization to Ownership
Last week, I left you with this:
“Next week we will explore the hardest self-leadership lesson of all—real delegation. Why letting go isn’t about productivity. It’s about who you’re becoming.”
Let’s get into it.
The Illusion of Delegation
High achievers love to say they delegate.
But most of the time, they don’t.
They assign tasks while still gripping the authority.
They outsource the “what” but keep a stranglehold on the “how.”
I know this because I did it. For years.
Until my COO pulled me aside and said:
“You’re delegating without authority.”
He was right. I wasn’t empowering. I was micromanaging.
And here’s the truth: micromanaging isn’t leadership.
It’s fear in disguise.
Why Delegation Feels So Hard
When you delegate with real authority, you risk:
Someone doing it differently than you would.
Someone making mistakes.
Someone showing you weren’t as indispensable as you thought.
That feels terrifying—especially for people whose identity is built on being capable, reliable, “the one who always delivers.”
But if you don’t release the grip, you’ll never grow past the ceiling of your own two hands.
What I Learned Building Members’ Wealth
When I launched Members’ Wealth, I made a commitment to myself:
From our website…“From the start, I wanted to delegate as much decision-making as possible to more talented individuals. My goal is to continually reduce the number of decisions I have to make and rely on the team to move swiftly and decisively based on what’s best for Members’ Wealth.”
“Most boutique wealth management firms rely on the CEO to wear many hats, including CEO, Lead Advisor, Head of operations, marketing and sales and some even throw in CIO or CPA or JD for good measure.” I knew that wasn’t sustainable.
So, I built a team of exceptional professionals, many of whom I had worked with before, and gave them authority to lead.
That choice hasn’t just made the business stronger.
It’s made me stronger. Because the less I hold onto, the more space I have to actually lead.
Don’t just take my word for it…The Buyback Principle
Delegation isn’t about perfection. It’s about leverage.
As Dan Martell says in Buy Back Your Time:
“80% done by someone else is 100% freaking awesome.”
Why? Because even if they don’t do it exactly the way you would, you’ve freed yourself to focus on the 20% of things that only you can do.
That’s the Buyback Principle:
Hire and delegate not just to grow your business, but to buy back your time.
Offload anything that can be done by someone else for less than your hourly value.
Invest your reclaimed time into vision, relationships, and the work that actually moves the needle.
Delegation as a Superpower
Delegation isn’t a one-time act. It’s a discipline.
You get better at it the more you practice.
Some decisions won’t go perfectly. That’s fine.
If 80% of delegation decisions land well and 20% need cleanup, that’s still a massive win compared to doing nothing.
Because the real win isn’t just efficiency.
It’s transformation. YOUR TRANSFORMATION.
When you delegate authority:
Your team grows. You grow.
Your capacity expands.
And you start to become someone new—the leader who authors a life, a vision, a company, not just operates a machine.
Reflection Prompt
Where in your life are you still “delegating without authority”?
What would it look like to truly empower someone else this week?
Next Week
Delegation is the doorway. But here’s the trap: most of us, once we let go a little, we instinctively grip tighter again.
Next week, we’ll explore The Cost of Control vs. The Power of Ownership—why gripping tighter is the most expensive mistake of all.
Until then,
—Dane