One key characteristic of highly productive teams is when tasks get assigned, they get assigned to a specific person. (I like to call them the single-wringable-neck. )

Then they get assigned due dates.

Then they get broken into steps or milestones with check-in dates on the way to the big due date. This makes it easy for everyone to know who is responsible for getting things done and when. 

But sometimes as leaders, we don’t hold ourselves to the same level of accountability. We agree in the big meeting, “…oh, yeah. I’ll take care of that. No problem.”

But no due date.

No milestones.

And often, other things seem to get in the way and weeks or months or more go by and the thing just isn’t done.

Now as the CEO, you may not have anyone on your team who is willing to get in your space about it. I hope you do. But if not, they still begin to collectively understand that in order to get anything important done on time, it needs to go to someone else. 

The takeaway is this: Either delegate it to someone else or submit yourself to more accountability that you ask of anyone in your organization. Not doing it or taking six months to do a six day job erodes the confidence your team has in you. After all, if you can’t do the most basic things, how can they look up to you as a leader? Sorry, that stings.

Delegating it is fine.

Deciding not to do it at all is fine.

Agreeing to do it and dragging butt is a leadership killer.