Balancing Leadership Responsibilities

*Let it go!* “Appa, who will be CEO while you are away?”, the kid asks me. “Well, Jagdeep uncle, Sunit uncle, Saurabh uncle, Parneet aunty and others … they will run the show.” “Oh, so you are basically not required.” “Mmm … I hope I am … but not all the time.” “What if something breaks while you are away?” “It won’t.” “But what if it does?” “Abey … Hindi worksheet kiya?” <Exit kid, Stage right > Every year, as December rolls by, I get ready to take a break from work. Early in my career, this just meant asking the boss for time off, making sure there were no loose ends, and off I go. Over the years, things have become a bit more complicated. For one, I can’t ensure there are ‘no loose ends’. Can’t pack up my job into neat little boxes to be reopened when I return. My job is all loose ends! And I surely can’t change the fact that a quarter end will come by while I am out of action. The Gregorian calendar doesn’t give a damn that I have an “Out Of Office” message on. Which means my only real option is to delegate. Empower my colleagues aggressively to do whatever needs to be done. Delegation, I have learnt however, is deceptively hard. Particularly when you are delegating not a task, but responsibility. It is hard enough to train someone on a set of tasks, oversee them initially as they perform independently, provide feedback and slowly let go. But it is harder still when what you do is not clearly defined. No specific task, but a series of judgements one makes, choices you exercise. How do you delegate that? The key, I believe, is to have a set of commonly accepted principles. Some general behavioural tenets that everyone in the leadership team collectively believes in. Norms about “How we do things here” that we constantly talk about, emphasise and re-emphasise at every turn. Repetition is the mother of all learning. Talk about your principles openly and often enough that no matter which specific individual exercises a choice, it is likely to be in the same ballpark. Another element I have found important in successful leadership delegation is to establish and publicly declare a decision making framework. My usual framework when I am OOO is: “Each department head is empowered to make all decisions in their department. If there is a conflict between choices, Mr. X (or Ms. Y) will be the tie-breaker.” The hardest, but most important aspect of delegating responsibilities, is letting go. I need to recognise that Mr. X might do things differently than I would. They might make some choices that I might not have made. If you are aligned on ‘commonly accepted principles’, these might be differences in detail, not in spirit. Yet, differences there will be. My success as a delegating leader is in owning up and publicly supporting these choices, whether I would have made them precisely that way or not. So what I should have told my kid is: “If something breaks while I am away, it is still my responsibility.”

The five words that are killing your career: "That's ok, I'll do it." I've worked with hundreds of managers. And I hear the same excuses: 🚩"It's faster if I just do it myself." 🚩"My team's already stretched thin." 🚩"I'll need to fix it anyway." But here's the truth: Your good intentions are sabotaging your impact. Delegation isn't an option.  Delegation is an investment: 📈 It Grows ↳ Your team builds knowledge and develops skills ↳ Their confidence increases with trust ↳ Your leadership multiplies 📉 It Reduces Risk ↳ Spreads out innovation ↳ Prevents your burnout ↳ Builds bench strength 🔄 It Compounds ↳ They automate the routine to free up time ↳ They use the time to solve more problems ↳ They deliver results 1% better each day Yes, teaching takes longer upfront. But it produces greater returns downstream. Start here: 1️⃣ What to delegate? ↳ List tasks that drain your time ↳ Delete ones that are low value ↳ Automate any that are rote 2️⃣ When to start? ↳ With the rhythm of the business ↳ Before you're overwhelmed ↳ Now. Today. 3️⃣ How to succeed? ↳ Set clear, measurable expectations ↳ Support, don't smother ↳ Trust the process Remember: Great leaders aren't the best at everything. They build teams that are. 🔔 Follow for more leadership insights ♻️ Share to help other overwhelmed leaders

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞: 𝐀 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 Mohit, a seasoned senior sales leader known for his focus on results, was on the edge of losing a critical client—and, unknowingly, his reputation as a trusted leader. This high-stakes negotiation tested his executive presence and highlighted a gap he’d overlooked: the power of Grace. During a tense meeting, his client dissected his proposal, questioning every detail. Mohit’s instinct was to counter back, armed with data. But something held him back, reminding him that how he handled this moment would define his leadership presence and influence. One wrong move, and he risked the deal, his client relationship, and his gravitas as a leader. He took a deep breath, leaned into his presence, and asked calmly, “Is there something else behind these concerns?” His client seemed caught off guard and, after a pause, shared the mounting pressures from his own leadership team. Mohit recognized the impact of Grace—responding with empathy over defense. He realized that Grace, in leadership, means choosing connection over correction. It’s the influence that lets a leader stand out. In the following days, Mohit adjusted his approach, looking beyond the transaction to build trust. He refined his proposal to align with the client’s pressures without compromising his goals. Ultimately, the deal closed successfully, but Mohit walked away with something greater—an understanding that Grace is essential for building relationships with gravitas and long-term impact. 𝟑 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝟏. 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭: High-stakes moments call for a steady presence. Pausing enables you to respond thoughtfully, showing gravitas and fostering respect. 𝟐. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: When others are critical, understand they may be under their own pressures. This shift from judgment to empathy builds influence and prevents unnecessary conflict. 𝟑. 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: Leaders who stand out recognize they’re human. Self-compassion in the face of mistakes fuels resilience, enabling you to lead with stronger presence. Grace isn’t just a soft skill—it’s your powerful tool for building influence, preserving trust, and strengthening your leadership presence. With Grace, you can stand out and create a lasting impact that truly resonates. #ExecutivePresence #Grace #Gravitas #LeadershipDevelopment #SalesTraining

The most important lesson I’ve learned as a Marine Officer: Your people will fail. You’ll fail too. It’s inescapable. When failure strikes, it’s EASY to blow a fuse. But here’s the hard truth… Staying calm and level-headed will (almost) always serve you—and your team—better. 1️⃣ Leadership is tested in moments of failure. It’s easy to react emotionally when the stakes are high. But the greatest leaders show restraint. They stay calm, predictable, and steady—even when everything feels like it’s falling apart. 2️⃣ That doesn’t mean intensity has no place. Sometimes, a sharp, deliberate reaction can emphasize urgency or drive home a critical point. But if intensity becomes your default response? You risk breaking trust and damaging morale. 3️⃣ Here’s why calmness matters most: If you’ve built your team effectively, they already know they’ve failed Trust me—they’ll be just as disappointed in themselves (if not more) than you are. They don’t need more pressure. They need your guidance. 4️⃣ In tough moments, your team looks to you for stability. When things go sideways, your response sets the tone. Will you stay composed and focus on solutions? Or will you let emotions take over and fuel the chaos? The choice you make defines your leadership. 5️⃣ Emotional intelligence separates good leaders from great ones. Handling failure with grace and composure builds trust. It shows your team they can count on you—not just when things go right, but when everything’s going wrong. 6️⃣ Questions to ask yourself when failure hits: - Does my team need intensity, or do they need clarity? - Am I reacting emotionally, or leading intentionally? - What example am I setting for my people in this moment? Staying calm under pressure is hard, but it’s what great leaders must do. 7️⃣ Anyone can lose their temper when things fall apart. Few can stay composed and lead through the storm. Be the leader your team looks to for calm and clarity when failure strikes. That’s how trust is built.

The legal industry traditionally measures productivity in hours. More hours = more dedication, more output, more “value.” Especially for law firm lawyers. But that’s not how business leaders think. And it’s not how the best in-house lawyers operate. As a General Counsel, my job isn’t to do more work. It’s to ensure the right work gets done at the right time, by the right people, with the highest impact. And yes, sometimes I have to do a whole lot of work. But during the busiest times, it becomes even more important to make sure my team and I are focused on the right things. Here’s the shift that great in-house lawyers (and high-performing legal teams) make: - From tasks to strategy: Instead of reacting to every issue, we proactively shape legal and business outcomes. -From time spent to impact delivered: Instead of long contracts that no one reads, we aim to deliver clear, concise agreements that accelerate deals. -From being ‘busy’ to being business-critical: Instead of drowning in low-value tasks, we use templates, technology, and outsourcing for those tasks so that we can focus on work that moves the company forward. Sometimes we are still (extremely) busy, but it's not because we're doing busywork. CEOs don’t measure their success in hours worked. They measure it in growth, risk management, and competitive advantage. Great GCs do the same. If you’re in-house, how do you measure value beyond hours worked?

One of my best attorneys asked to reduce her hours from 40 to 15 per week. Instead of panicking, I smiled. Here's how we're building a successful law firm by embracing 'radical flexibility' for working parents: The traditional law firm model is broken. - 80-hour weeks - Face time requirements - Rigid schedules - Toxic culture We chose a different path. Our philosophy is simple: Hire exceptional lawyers. Let them work when and how they want. Pay them fairly and on time. Trust them completely. The results? - Revenue grew 200% in 2023 - Low attorney turnover - 95% client satisfaction - Countless soccer games and dance recitals attended The secret? When you give talented professionals true flexibility, they deliver extraordinary results. They're not watching the clock. They're focused on impact. They're loyal. They're happy. That attorney who reduced her hours? She still completed every project ahead of schedule. Her clients still raved about her work. She just did it between school pickup and bedtime stories. Traditional firms call this "part-time." We call it "the future of legal work." Because building a successful law firm isn't about counting hours. It's about counting results. Follow me for more insights on building human-first law firms. #LegalIndustry #WorkLifeBalance #FutureOfWork

12 Days. 12 Common Challenges NEW Leaders Face...DAY 6 (and practical ways to overcome them) Today’s Challenge: #6 Delegating and Building Trust Shaped by my background in accounting and audit, I tend to think of delegation much like risk management. When you delegate, you’re subconsciously evaluating the risk level. If you feel the risk is low, you’re ready to entrust someone with the work. Building trust is foundational. The more confident you are in someone’s capabilities and outputs, the more easily you can delegate. But when that trust isn’t fully there yet, it takes intentional steps: Here are some strategies I found helpful: ✅ Start small and scale -> Begin with lower-risk tasks. -> As confidence grows, increase responsibility. ✅ Clarify expectations upfront -> Be explicit about outcomes, timelines, and quality standards. ✅ Build safety mechanisms -> You may need to review or proof outputs initially. -> If something goes wrong, use it as a learning opportunity, not a reason to hold onto control forever. ✅ Encourage autonomy and accountability -> Give space to take ownership while remaining available for guidance. -> Celebrate successes and provide constructive feedback to reinforce learning. Delegation is about developing capability, building trust, and empowering others to own results. This frees you to focus on the work only you can do. 👉 Tomorrow: Challenge #7 — Building Confidence 👇 What’s one small step you’ve taken that helped you build trust when delegating? ♻️ Repost if you think this can help other new leaders and follow me Rekha Jillella for more leadership tips.

5 tasks a day for 30 days = 150 tasks that can transform your law firm in 1 year. That’s the goal. To get there, you can either: Keep doing everything yourself and burn out, or Start delegating and grow your firm while regaining your time. Just carry out these daily tasks: Delegate one admin task to your virtual assistant. Review your team’s progress and trust them to handle more. Spend at least one hour on high-value client work. Here’s an example of what that looks like: Have your assistant handle scheduling and client communications. Check in with your team once a day to ensure smooth operations. Dedicate focused time to client strategy and growth. Now all you have to do is stick to these steps, and you’ll free yourself up for more impactful work. As you progress, incorporate: Weekly check-ins with your team to adjust workflows. Monthly reviews to optimize delegation strategies. Quarterly planning to focus on long-term growth. Following this exact delegation strategy for the next 90 days has helped me scale my firm and reclaim time for my family. It’s more effective than trying to juggle everything on your own.

My best performer missed 3 deadlines. Old me would've had "the conversation." New me asked: "How can I help?" Turns out, her dad was in hospice. She'd been driving 4 hours every weekend to help her mom. Never said a word about it. Just quietly carried the weight while trying to hit every target. That moment changed how I lead. We demand peak performance from people living full human lives. Divorce papers. Sick kids. Aging parents. Mental health struggles. But we only see the work output. Here's what I've learned about leading with grace: 1/ Performance Dips Have Stories → Your star employee suddenly struggling? There's a reason → Don't assume laziness when it could be life. 💡 Reality: The developer who "got sloppy" was caring for his newborn with colic. Zero sleep for 6 weeks. 2/ Flexibility Builds Loyalty → Work around their life, not against it → Trust creates performance, not pressure 💡 Reality: The employee I let work remotely during family crisis? Still with us 3 years later. Fiercely loyal. 3/ Grace Is Contagious → Teams that support each other perform better → People take bigger risks when they feel supported 💡 Reality: Our team retention hit 94% after we started leading with empathy first. 4/ Life Happens to Everyone → The grace you give comes back when you need it → Culture is built in crisis moments 💡 Reality: When I had my own family emergency, my team covered for me without being asked. 5/ High Performers Hide Struggles → They don't want to appear weak → They'll burn out before asking for help 💡 Reality: My highest achievers were the ones suffering in silence. My new leadership framework: Check-ins that actually check in: → "How are you doing?" (and wait for the real answer) → "What's hard right now?" → "How can we adjust to help?" Red flags someone needs grace: → Sudden performance changes → Withdrawn behavior in meetings → Working odd hours consistently → Declining social interaction → Perfectionism turning into paralysis Most leaders are so focused on business outcomes that they forget the humans creating them. We optimize for productivity while our people are drowning. But here's what grace actually does: It doesn't lower standards. It raises trust. It doesn't excuse poor performance. It addresses root causes. It doesn't create weakness. It builds resilience. Because the leader who shows grace in the hard moments? That's the leader people follow through anything. Your team isn't just your workforce. They're whole humans with complex lives. Lead like you remember that. How do you show grace to your team when life gets heavy? Share below 👇 ♻️ Repost if someone needs this reminder. Follow Carolyn Healey for more real-world leadership insights.