Do you struggle to relinquish control to other members of your team? When you’ve got the right people on board, in the right positions, then these team members can really help you and do what’s been delegated, including responsibilities or activities that can enable you to focus on more vital leadership duties. So if you’re feeling anxious about letting go, it’s time to dig deep and determine why. If you are the one getting in the way of their potential success, own this fact and make a commitment to step aside and empower them to do what you’ve asked them to do. This may not be easy, but the best leaders recognize that relinquishing control can result in greater productivity and performance.

Here are a few steps you can take now to start letting go of unnecessary control:

1. List What You Can Delegate
Take some time to thoughtfully consider the strengths, skillsets and talents within your team. Then think about what’s trivial, drains your energy, or simply takes up too much of your time. Who can help you best? If no one immediately pops to mind, determine who can help you best if he or she receives a bit of coaching, training or professional development? Remember, people want to learn and grow. Invest in their professional development, and you’ll likely get a positive return in a surprising variety of ways.

2. Embrace And Update Technology
Nowadays, we all depend on a host of technological solutions. But sometimes we get accustomed to our old software programs or familiar methods because we know how to do it and it’s comfortable. Trouble is, these might no longer be the most efficient solutions. Updates and new innovations have the power to save us more time and energy if we only take the plunge, get or download the right tools to help us, be trained to use them more effectively, and allow them to work in our favor. If this isn’t your personal wheelhouse, find out who among your team members can help usher in timely and appropriate technologies, as well as train you and your people on how to optimize them to your organization’s advantage.

3. Notice Tendencies To Relapse
When leaders and others struggle with letting go of control, it’s often because this is a habit. Habits are hard to break, which is why following the advice above, replacing practices that harm with those that help, can make a more positive, powerful difference. That said, if you’re struggling with relinquishing control to qualified and competent team members, a big part of managing the changes you’re trying to make is simply noticing your struggles as they surface or when you relapse into those old, familiar ways. Don’t beat yourself up—these are commonplace, particularly among leaders who have put their blood, sweat and tears into a business they cherish to the core. But do recognize that letting go, when it’s relatively safe to do so, is good for all. It may be tough at times but don’t give up—you can do this!

What can make it hard for you to delegate to other team members?