I believe in Stephen Covey’s principle “begin with the end in mind”. My short explanation of that principle: clarify the result you want, and act deliberately and consistently toward that result all along the way.

In hindsight, I can see I have tended to operate with a more restrictive principle than that. It’s something like “begin only when the desired result seems fairly certain, and the path from here to there is clear and predictable”. I started with “be deliberate” and unintentionally added “avoid surprises” to my mode of operation.

Because of my undeclared desire to avoid surprises I have often avoided starting down foggy paths. I knew the first few steps to take, but I didn’t know all the steps from here to success. Some examples: not creating a new employee position in my company because I couldn’t predict if it would work out, not seeking outside experts because I didn’t know how to find and evaluate them, or not starting experimental product development because I couldn’t forsee solutions to all of the design challenges. In all cases I knew the desired result, and I knew where to start, but in between was foggy. I was afraid of failure, and of the unknown.

It’s wise to plan ahead using all the information that’s available at the beginning. I think the lesson for me now is that even when a less-than-comfortable amount of information is available at the beginning, I’ll get more of the results I want by starting down the visible part of the path than by waiting for clarity and predictability from here to the destination.

As leaders we all know we need to delegate. Although easier said than done, this is not a new or unfamiliar idea. Lately my executive coach has been pushing me to take delegation further than I have before. I’m becoming aware of a pyramid of delegation something like this:

• Level 1: I train someone else to do an established, routine process that up to now I have been doing myself. I can and do tell them the steps to successful execution of the process from beginning to end. I am tired of doing the process myself, and I’m glad to hand it off. I know the outcome I want, and if the person I delegate it too does it the same way I did it, there’s very little chance of failure or surprise. The goal is to repeat the process quickly and consistently with as little involvement from me as possible. This is about execution.
• Level 2: I put someone else in a position to make decisions and solve common problems. I get updates on how things are going, and I get involved with the sticky issues. I need their consistent attention to the matter, because my attention is divided between many things. I can’t prescribe all the steps in advance, but I do know what the expected outcome is. There will be some surprises, but the outcome is predictable. The goal is to resolve issues and return to normal. This is about monitoring and adjusting.
• Level 3: I challenge someone to solve a new problem, invent something that doesn’t exist yet, or learn something without training. I evaluate results, suggest improvements, and allocate resources for next steps. I need their dedicated time because there are too many opportunities for me to pursue, I need their expertise because they know things I don’t, and I need their creativity because they can look at things from perspectives I would never think of. I can’t tell them what path to take, and I can’t predict the outcome. Failure is likely, both the back-to-the-drawing-board try-again kind, and the not-gonna-work dead-end kind. Surprises are guaranteed. The goal is to create something new. This is about exploration and discovery.
• Level 4: This might be giving someone full authority over an organization or resource based on their character and track record, and providing only the broadest of objectives (grow the company, use this for good in the world). I need the whole package of their responsibility, leadership, expertise, and ambition. Success and failure are in play on a grander scale. Surprises are expected, but I don’t need to react to most of them. The goal is to maximize potential, both of the person and the resource. This is about stewardship. It strikes me that we are all given Level 4 authority over our own lives.

In my own leadership, I’m starting to stretch into Level 3, and I find it scary at first, like the top of the first hill on a roller coaster. Then it becomes thrilling, like the part of the roller coaster when I realize we’re not going to crash, and we’re moving fast.