Those 5 or so people who are your first circle, they not only have to be top notch (which is usually not an issue), they also have to be able to take things off your plate where you no longer are required.

So often what I see is clients who aren’t delegating old work.  This can happen for several reasons:

  • It’s comfortable to hang on to the old work, it’s where you feel successful and competent
  • You haven’t practiced effective, Controlled Delegation℠ (read to the very end for a special surprise) and therefore are concerned that the work won’t be done well
  • Your default setting is, ‘It’s easier to just do it myself’

In the short term, you can get by.  But as your role requires more of you, particularly if you’ve elevated into a bigger and more responsible role, you’ll be subsumed by the workload if you haven’t looked for opportunities to delegate.

The other very significant consequence is that you’ll be unable to identify and execute on your most important strategic priorities where you add the greatest value.

Where to begin:

  • First, look at your immediate, first circle team. Do you have the right people in place?  This is imperative.  If you don’t, it needs to be fixed.
  • Next, assess what work you can offload to them.
  • After that, don’t assume that no one will want to take it on. I can’t tell you how many clients mistakenly tell me that team members are already working at capacity and won’t want to do more.
  • Finally, begin to implement Controlled Delegation and start with low hanging, low-stakes fruit where you can teach someone and they can learn without fear of grave consequences should there be a glitch (there will be bumps, for sure, that’s why having an effective process like Controlled Delegation is so important).

For more on working together, drop me a note: sarah@sarah-levitt.com   I work with CEOs, senior executives, and senior leadership teams to accelerate and improve business results.

To read what clients are saying go here.

If you’re thinking about what’s next after corporate life in your Second Act, I’ve designed a retreat in response to so many of you asking this question.  We are sold out for February but are taking applications now for the next Big Work Retreat in October, 2026.  Go here to learn more and register.

Planning your annual conference or event?  From elite executive retreats, to senior leadership team off sites, to association conferences and corporate events, I’ve been honored to speak to thousands.
From Blue Cross and Blue Shield to Harvard, from Caterpillar to the Association of Financial Professionals, from Women in Cable Telecommunications to the American Bankers Association, audiences describe me as engaging, interactive, inspirational, and giving them the practical tools and strategies they need for real-time business implementation.

For a full list of topics and descriptions go here.

Meeting planner resources are here.

Customized packages can include: pre-interviews with select attendees, leading a panel discussion, and social media promotion of your event.
For booking information, contact me now.  2 spots remain for 2026.

Need to Level-Up a Group of Leaders?

Magnificent Leadership® Peer Learning Cohorts Inside Your Organization

One of the most cost-effective, high-return coaching programs for leveling up an entire group of leaders.

  • You select who participates
  • Highly customized content and materials for your cohort that we plan together
  • Once-monthly virtual meetings to save on time and travel costs
  • Leverages my executive coaching with peer accountability and learning
  • Some of the most common curriculum topics: delegation and getting out of the weeds, increasing speed of execution, removing obstacles, enterprise leadership and influence across the organization, improving anticipation and accountability, effectively coaching team members for greater performance, Building a Self-Correcting Team®…
  • Practical tools and strategies for immediate use 
  • For your superstars and seasoned leaders, alike
  • Minimum 5 participants, Maximum 14
  • Custom add-ons available that can include private coaching from me and individual development planning

Popular, Extremely Cost Effective, and Fully Customized.  To learn more, contact me here.  My next openings for new cohorts are in April.

And now for the surprise.  If you’ve read this far, I have a special announcement.  On Wednesday, March 25th at 10:30am ET I’m offering a cost-free, 45 minute webinar: “Controlled Delegation: How to Stop Drowning and Start Executing on Your Highest Priorities.”  This is the first time I’m offering this content outside of my work with clients.  If you are leading a team, you can’t afford to miss this.  To register: hit reply and tell me how many seats to reserve.  This event will be capped to allow for Q&A in real-time.