The Power of Delegation: Becoming a “Who Not How” Leader
Intro
Welcome back to another exciting episode of #AJsBookClub where we summarize some of our recent reads & dive in to the take aways to help enhance an aspect of our lives. Specifically, an aspect of our own definitions of success.
If you haven’t already, consider joining the discussion on facebook. We’re a growing community of people who like to share & discuss books that are what I consider to be “Success Focused”. In the mean time, feel to check out other reviews & summaries on the blog page (quick link here to make life easier!)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an interest in business and leadership. One thing that always amazed me is how individual people can run an entire business or company of hundreds if not thousands of people.
These people are often faced with a never-ending to-do list and it’s challenging to manage everything on your own.
This is where the "Who Not How" mindset comes in.
Change Your Mindset
We hear it all the time.
I say it all the time.
If you want to change your outcomes, you need to change the way you think.
One thing I have struggled with for the better part of my life is trying to break free from what I like to call:
“Shit the world teaches you when you’re young”
Ironically, the first quote I underlined in this book really threw this right back in my freakin face:
“Our public education system is entirely based on ‘How’”
What does this really mean though?
Everything we’re taught as children is how to go do a task, how to solve a problem, how to learn a skill.
How
How!
HOW!!!!
Worst part about all of it, is that we’re taught that if we cannot do a “how” ourselves, we’re given bad grades, called stupid, or get punished.
This leads s down the path of NEEDING to learn how to do things ourselves, but we can only do so much by ourselves in the time we have.
Accelerating Though Who
"The true genius of entrepreneurship is not in knowing how to do everything yourself, but in knowing how to get everything done through others."
At the core, it’s a very simple idea to grasp. “I don’t need to know how to do things myself, I can just go find someone to do it for me who knows better.”
The real magic here happens when you find the right people to connect with. You create relationships with the right people that not only can help to do a task, but more importantly can do it faster and better than we ever could have.
Doing this creates an extremely accelerated path to achieve large goals at an unimaginable pace.
The “WHO”s in our lives can help us 10x or even 100x our progress
But it gets even better
When you focus on your WHO, you free up your mind for more creative thought and can get a better view of all the possibilities the world has.
You start to have a mentality of abundance instead of one of scarcity
Why Don’t More People Do This?
People will always wonder, if it’s so great then why don’t more people find their WHO and go explode in business?? Well there’s a few reasons. Things you need to overcome to be able to implement this mindset
Change is hard: Implementing new ideas and ways of doing things requires change, and change is often difficult. It can be uncomfortable to step out of our comfort zones and try something new.
Mindset shift: The book advocates for a shift in mindset from "how" to "who". This means moving away from the idea that we need to figure out everything on our own and instead focus on finding the right people to help us achieve our goals. This shift in thinking may take time and effort to adopt.
Finding the right people: Finding the right people to help us can also be a challenge. It requires identifying the skills and expertise we need, as well as networking and building relationships with others.
Trust: Trusting others to take on important tasks and projects can be difficult, especially if we have a strong need for control. It can be challenging to let go of certain responsibilities and trust others to get the job done.
Money: If we’re being honest, sometimes the right people cost money that you might not haev to spare at this point in your journey. I’m going to spend some time talking about ways to overcome this though, so keep reading!!
5 Tips To Implement “Who Not How”
Identify your unique abilities - Focus on what you do best & delegate tasks that are not your strengths. Consider what comes naturally to you and what you enjoy doing. Free Up your time & energy for what you do best.
Learn to delegate effectively - Find the things that are not your strengths, tasks that are time-consuming, or tasks that can be completed by others more efficiently. Communicate your expectations and provide clear instruction. Trust may be a hard one here to overcome, but start small & build up. If a person does not work out, remember there are others. You DO NOT have to be locked in to a single person
Ask the right questions - Instead of asking "how" you will achieve something, ask "who" can help you achieve it. This shifts your focus from finding solutions to finding the right people to help you. By asking the right questions, you can identify the best individuals to help you achieve your goals. Be specific about your needs.
Embrace collaboration - Seek out opportunities to collaborate with others, both inside and outside of your organization. By working together, individuals can achieve more than they could on their own.
Build a strong network - Building a strong network of talented individuals who can help you achieve your goals is essential to the "Who Not How" mindset. This includes building relationships with people who have skills and expertise that complement your own.
To build a strong network, be proactive about reaching out to individuals you admire and respect. Use social media to connect with others in your industry and share valuable content. Focus on building relationships with individuals who share your values and have a similar vision for success.
But I can’t Afford The Help!
Remember everyone needs a WHO. Consider that you might be the WHO that someone else needs.
As you are building your network, don’t just look for people who can help you. Find people that you can also help.
Sometimes this means you can get paid, sometimes you may want to help someone for free.
Not everything in life should be viewed as transactional. Helping someone that needs you a their WHO may open a door to the help you need in the future.
The Importance of Letting Go
There are only so many more lesson in the book than I can cover in a short review.
I will leave you with one more item that I found really impactful. It’s stuck with me since I finished reading. No surprise, but it’s another mindset that I know I still have trouble breaking from what is ingrained in us a kids.
We need to let go. Let go of both the responsibility & the personal need for credit
Hopefully this resonates with others as well?
Sullivan argues that too often individuals focus on receiving credit for their work, rather than focusing on the end result. When we are focused on receiving credit, we limit ourselves and our ability to achieve more.
By letting go of the need for personal credit, we can create more opportunities for collaboration and success. When we are focused on achieving the best outcome, we are more open to working with others and delegating tasks to those who have the skills to achieve them.
Ironically, often times by letting go, we are more likely to receive recognition in the long term.
Focus on creating the best outcome. Build a reputation as someone who produces great results and is willing to work with other to achieve success.
“If you want to grow, you need to let go”
- me
(I think I just came up with that shit on the fly)
Conclusion
If you are someone in business or in any sort of leadership role, I would highly recommend getting a copy of this book for yourself.
“Who Not How” is jam packed with stories of how others have used this concept and has a ton of great tips to better implement “Who Not How” in your own life
As a final note, this book truly exemplifies the idea even in its own writing. The concepts behind the book are by Dan Sullivan, but the actual book is written by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. A perfect compliment to help Sullivan write a better book!
If you are interested in books like this, please consider joining #AJsBookClub on facebook and join the conversation!
Until Next Time!
-A.J. Zampella