If you are like many small business owners and managers, you are used to almost single-handedly operating your landscape contracting business. Maybe in the early days, your business consisted of you (and one or two others), a truck, and some equipment. If you can boast these humble beginnings, then you already know what it’s like to have to wear many hats to keep your business operational and thriving. Now that you’re on a solid growth path, you can begin to think about sharing responsibility with others whose expertise, sweat equity, and commitment will pay off, both figuratively and literally. This means embracing the power of delegation, the act of entrusting tasks and responsibilities to those on your team who are capable of successfully handling them. Leadership expert and author Frank Sonnenberg believes: “Great leaders hire outstanding people, train them well, inspire them, and get out of their way.” If you are confident that you have top-notch people on your teams, you can be comfortable delegating to them, then, as Sonnenberg says, getting out of their way so they can do what they were entrusted to do. Delegation is a hallmark of strong, effective leadership. Leaders who challenge and inspire their teams serve as support, coaches, and mentors rather than as top-down disseminators of tasks, responsibilities, and mandates. True delegation – the kind that encourages and fosters personal responsibility, accountability, and high levels of self-efficacy – is not dictating or even assigning tasks and responsibilities to team members. Instead, it is identifying and capitalizing on your team members’ strengths, skill sets, career goals, and willingness to learn and grow, and entrusting tasks and responsibilities to those who demonstrate the ability and willingness to successfully own them. Delegation is not carte blanche to relinquish responsibility, however; once you delegate to a team member, it is up to you to coach and support that individual as needed.