DELEGATE TO ELEVATE
THE SECRET TO BEING A GREAT LEADER
Poor delegation is the Achilles’ heel of most leaders, who often confuse being “involved” with being “essential.” To determine if you’re holding on to work you should delegate out, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) recommends asking this simple question: “If you had to take an unexpected week off work, would your initiatives and priorities advance in your absence?” If your answer is no or you aren’t sure, then you’re probably too involved. No one person should be the cog that keeps everything in motion, no matter their position in the company. Luckily, HBR has created an audit using the following six T’s to identify which tasks can be delegated. TINY: Small tasks that stack up can undermine the flow of your work. Registering for a conference, putting it on the calendar, and booking the flight are all small tasks someone else can handle. TEDIOUS: These tasks are straightforward but not the best use of your time. Someone else can input lists into spreadsheets or update key performance indicators for a presentation. TIME-CONSUMING: These important, complex tasks don’t require you to do the first 80% of the work. Identify what they are, pass them to someone else, and step in for the final 20% to give approval.
TEACHABLE: Is there a task only you know how to do? If so, teach someone else to do it, and step in for the last quality check when it’s done. TERRIBLE AT: It’s okay to be bad at some things. Great leaders know when to pass tasks off to someone who is more skilled than they are. The task will get done faster and at a much higher quality. TIME-SENSITIVE: These tasks need to get done right now but are competing with tasks of a higher priority. Just because it has to get done immediately doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it. Sure, some tasks only you can accomplish, but these are extremely rare. As the Virgin Group founder Richard Branson warns, needlessly resisting delegation is the path to disaster. “You need to learn to delegate so that you can focus on the big picture,” Branson says. “It’s vital to the success of your business that you learn to hand off those things that you aren’t able to do well.”
Drug Crime Myths
DON’ T LET BAD INFO LAND YOU IN HOT WATER
MYTH: JAIL TIME IS RESERVED FOR THOSE CAUGHT SELLING DRUGS You don’t have to be caught actively selling a controlled substance to be hit with a serious “intent to sell” charge. Simply being found with a high enough quantity of a substance can be enough to land you in legal hot water. Alternatively, being found with scales, plastic bags, and other paraphernalia in conjunction with a possession charge could sway a jury toward an “intent to sell” conviction. Depending on the circumstances of your arrest, very serious penalties could be on the table if you’re convicted. The move toward decriminalization of nonviolent drug crimes is encouraging. However, it’s important to not get carried away. If you find yourself facing any drug- related charges, take them seriously and call an experienced criminal defense lawyer you trust.
The landscape of drug crimes has shifted rapidly over the last few years. From
this — while Atlanta has spearheaded decriminalization efforts, some areas just outside the city are as harsh as ever, with zero tolerance policies being strictly enforced. MYTH: EVERYONE FOUND WITH DRUGS ON THEIR PERSON GETS CONVICTED On the other end of the spectrum, people overestimate the power of the government to convict them. Many people think simply being found in possession of an illegal substance is “game over.” This misconception is so strong that even those who were victims of an illegal search or legitimately didn’t know they were in possession still don’t fight the charges. But even when the evidence is stacked against someone, deferred sentencing options are often available. A drug arrest does not necessarily have to mean a drug conviction.
the decriminalization of marijuana in many jurisdictions to the emphasis on treating (rather than convicting) nonviolent drug offenders, the national conversation around these issues has changed dramatically. However, all these developments have led to some damaging misconceptions about what constitutes a drug charge, and just how serious those charges can be. MYTH: MARIJUANA HAS BEEN DECRIMINALIZED NATIONWIDE While the federal government, as well as many state and local jurisdictions, has lightened enforcement of marijuana possession charges, this is by no means universal. Georgia is a perfect example of
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