Why You Can’t Delegate Tasks Only to Your Most Trusted Person?

Many managers — myself in my early career included — follow a simple principle: “If the task is critical, give it to the best employee and it will surely succeed.” This approach seems logical, but over time, it does more harm than good. Research on delegation shows that effective sharing of responsibilities builds a culture of trust, develops the team, and brings tangible benefits to the organization. On the other hand, not delegating or overloading one person leads to burnout, team stagnation, and loss of trust. Below is a look at this problem from the perspective of a long‑time industry leader, a leadership & executive coach, and an OD consultant.

Consequences of Delegating Tasks to Only One Person

Excessive Workload and Risk of Burnout

If you constantly entrust strategic tasks to the same person, you overburden them. The managers who fail to delegate become bottlenecks, overwhelmed by responsibilities, leading to burnout and a loss of focus on strategic issues. The exact mechanisms apply to subordinates: the team’s star begins to work at the limit of their capacity, which can result in stress, errors, and resignation.

Stifled Team Development

A lack of opportunities to prove oneself leads to stagnation. According to the same source, insufficient delegation deprives employees of opportunities to develop new skills and take on responsibility, making it difficult for the organization to build future leaders. If every critical project is assigned to one person, the rest of the team misses the chance to learn project management, negotiation, or presenting to senior management.

Declining Engagement and Feeling Undervalued

Delegating tasks only to the “best” person creates the impression that the others are less valuable. Research in organizational psychology shows that feeling valued is key to job satisfaction and engagement. When employees feel valued, their satisfaction and motivation increase, whereas a lack of recognition leads to higher turnover and lower engagement. Habitually bypassing part of the team in delegations makes them feel invisible, which may lead them to leave the company.

Loss of Innovation and Risk of a Knowledge Monopoly

When only one person performs key tasks, knowledge becomes concentrated in their hands. The article on the lack of delegation notes that failing to delegate stifles innovation — without responsibility for tasks, others have no opportunity to experiment and present their own ideas. Additionally, in the event of the trusted employee’s sudden absence, the company is left without the skills needed to continue projects.

Why Managers Fall into This Trap

Many leaders avoid delegating for various reasons: they don’t trust their team members, believe they can complete the task faster themselves, or fear losing control. Some hope for immediate results and therefore repeat the pattern of “giving everything to the best.” Yet research shows that effective delegation builds a culture of trust, reduces the leader’s overload, and engages the team. Moreover, delegating fosters creativity and employee skills, improves morale, and reduces turnover.

Perspective of a Manager, Coach, and OD Consultant

As a manager with many years of industry experience, I have seen how easy it is to fall into the trap of “giving everything to the best person.” I once had an analyst who handled every critical project brilliantly. Naturally, I assigned them the most complex tasks. Over time, I noticed that other employees felt overlooked. One ambitious person bluntly said to me, “I don’t have a chance to try something new.” This situation became a warning sign for me — if I want to build a strong and balanced team, I have to teach, delegate, and trust more than one person.

As a leadership & executive coach, I often work with leaders who face similar issues. I help them see that overloading one person can lead to talent loss and demotivation. In my consulting work, I recommend introducing development plans for each team member and rotating tasks to help everyone acquire new competencies.

How to Delegate Wisely – Practical Tips

1. Learn your team’s strengths and potential. Match tasks to employees’ skills. If you delegate too much to one person, you risk incomplete results and a stressed team member. Determine who has analytical strengths, who excels at presentations, and who is a negotiation expert.
2. Start with small steps. If an employee hasn’t yet handled complex projects, start with smaller tasks and gradually increase the level of difficulty. Pair people with complementary skills when necessary.
3. Communicate expectations and provide context. Effective delegation requires clearly defining the goal, context, and deadline. Employees perform better when they understand how the task fits into the broader strategy.
4. Give autonomy and support. Delegation isn’t micromanagement. Explain the expected results, then give employees the freedom to execute the task as they see fit, offering support when needed. This develops their creativity and sense of responsibility.
5. Build trust through regular feedback and recognition. Appreciation of work is crucial for engagement. Praise progress publicly, discuss mistakes promptly, and show that each person has a significant impact on the team’s success. Celebrating success strengthens motivation and a culture of trust.
6. Rotate responsibilities. Create opportunities to swap roles in projects so that everyone can learn different aspects of the work. This creates a buffer in case the team’s star is unavailable and knowledge isn’t concentrated in a single person.
7. Invest in skill development. Provide training and mentoring so employees have the tools to perform new tasks. The case of the CFO in Patti Cotton’s article shows that a lack of clear expectations and adequate training caused errors in reports; implementing regular training and clear procedures rebuilt trust and competence.

Summary

Delegating tasks to only one person may seem safe, but in reality, it weakens the team, hampers talent development, and increases the risk of burnout. Effective delegation — based on knowing people’s competencies, clear communication, support, and appreciation — builds trust, develops skills, and opens the way to innovation. As a manager, coach, and consultant, I encourage you to consciously plan tasks within your team so that everyone has the opportunity to grow and the organization can draw on the full potential of its people.

About the author

Jakub Grzadzielski is a Leadership & Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant. ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Marshall Goldsmith Certified Executive Coach.

For over two decades, he has worked with senior leaders and executive teams across industries – helping them unlock clarity, inspire alignment, and lead with purpose. His coaching focuses on leadership development, culture transformation, and strategic communication, combining evidence-based frameworks with a deeply human approach. Co-author of “Compliance Cop to Culture Coach” (2023).