To trust your team with crucial tasks, start by fostering an open communication culture where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. Clearly define expectations and provide thorough training to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Delegate tasks based on individual strengths, which not only empowers your team but also builds confidence. Regularly check in for progress updates and provide constructive feedback, reinforcing your support. Lastly, recognize and celebrate successes, which cultivates trust and motivates the team. Remember, as Warren Buffett said, “You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do.” Empower your team, and you’ll lighten your workload while boosting morale!

First, prioritize your tasks. What's most important and needs you to complete? Assess your team members to see who can take on the remainder, considering both their aptitude and their workload. Make sure you have clear parameters on the tasks you want to delegate and clear outcomes. In addition to a deadline, you might want to provide some milestone dates so that it's easier to catch if the team members get off track on the timeline. You may need to set aside time for training and explaining before you delegate, so factor that in as well.

Be transparent with your team about your workload and what’s on your plate. Share what you need, any concerns about handling key tasks, and the chance this gives them to step up. This approach isn’t just about asking for help - it’s an opportunity for them to build trust with you and take on responsibility. Ask directly who feels ready to help, and encourage them to take the lead, keeping collaboration open and strengths aligned with the tasks at hand. Instead of being an issue - this can be a development opportunity!

Understand your teams zone of genius, zone of proficiency, workload availability, and workload distribution to assess, not only, who can do it but who does the work well. Then the next view should be based on availability to do the work well. If the person doesn’t have time for the task, this is when I’d recommend redistribution of workload. Caution: To ensure, workload redistribution doesn’t negatively impact any team members, make sure you’re accounting for their availability, current workload, and what can needs to be done NOW vs LATER or NEVER.

Trusting your team starts with knowing their strengths. I delegate based on where each person excels and where they’re looking to grow, giving them tasks that are challenging but achievable. When a task is especially critical, I provide SOPs or checklists—clear, straightforward guides so that even complex tasks are manageable. This sets them up for success without the need for constant oversight. Once the task is in their hands, I focus on outcomes, not micromanaging. Building trust means empowering your team to own their work, knowing they have the tools and clarity to deliver.

Check-ins! Rather than waiting for your team to come to you with issues (especially when time is crucial), check-in with them periodically. This is chance to address any concerns or obstacles. Identify and adopt a workflow approach for your team in which everyone can submit work or update progress. Even the simplest of systems help keep everyone on track. Lastly, as the leader, you should be able to prioritize project importance and the immediate tasks. If you don’t, you end up with competing agendas and misalignment.