Episode 44: Effective Delegation

Struggling to let go of control in your legal practice? You're not alone. This candid exploration of delegation dives into the counterintuitive truth that doing everything yourself is actually holding back your career.

As attorneys, we're trained to be perfectionists, detail-oriented, and self-reliant. These qualities serve us well when drafting briefs or reviewing contracts, but they can become serious liabilities when we need to transition from doers to leaders. Through personal stories from my journey as a commercial litigator, I share how my resistance to delegation initially stunted my growth as a partner.

The turning point came when I realized that effective delegation isn't about offloading unwanted work—it's about creating opportunities for everyone to stretch, grow, and shine. I outline practical strategies for setting clear expectations, providing context (not just tasks), checking in without micromanaging, and recognizing others' contributions meaningfully. For newer attorneys, I offer specific advice on starting small with legal assistants and paralegals, making delegation a conversation rather than a directive.

What makes this skill so challenging is that it requires vulnerability—the willingness to trust others, to risk mistakes, and to invest time upfront that you feel you don't have. But the payoff is transformative: resilient teams, space for strategic thinking, and a sustainable path to leadership that doesn't sacrifice your wellbeing.

Whether you're a junior associate looking to develop delegation skills early or a partner struggling to let go, this episode offers both the permission and practical guidance to start building this essential leadership muscle. Your future self (and your team) will thank you for it.

Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilystedman/.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to The Grace Period

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Grace Period where we get real about attorney mental health and well-being and pull back the veil on the high-stakes world of big law. I'm your host, emily Logan Steadman, a commercial litigator partner and someone who believes there's always room for a little more grace, even in this high-stakes profession. Here I share real stories from my own journey in big law and invite you behind the scenes past the billable hour to talk about what it means to stay human in a demanding field. Whether you're a lawyer, a legal professional or someone trying to find your footing, this space is for you. Let's pull back the curtain, start the conversation and find our grace period together. Disclaimer the views and opinions shared on this podcast are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of my firm or any organization. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not legal advice, and listening does not create an attorney-client relationship. Welcome to episode 44 of the Grace Period. Today I'm going to talk about another topic that's essential but often challenging effective delegation. If you're anything like I was as a new associate or even as a new partner, you might believe the best way to succeed is just to do everything yourself. It feels safer, faster, maybe even expected, but over time I learned that holding on too tightly can actually hold you back and it can hold your team back.

Speaker 1: 1:23

As a senior associate and when I was approaching partner, I found myself wrestling with the urge to keep my hands on every detail, to do the work myself my first year's partner. My billable hours were low and I worried that if I delegated too much I wouldn't be seen as pulling my weight. But I also realized that if I didn't learn how to delegate and delegate well, I'd never actually become a leader, I'd just be an even more senior associate. I needed to help train those coming up behind me and I needed to build those relationships so that I have trustworthy colleagues to turn to when my next big case comes in. So I started off small as a senior associate. I asked summer associates for help and then I started looking to full-time associates for help handing off research projects, sharing drafting responsibilities and inviting associates to take the first crack at motions and discovery responses and discovery requests and letting go of document review. Yes, sometimes my billable hours dipped, but more importantly, I started to build trust with my team and to give others the opportunities I'd once wanted. Overall, this created space for me to focus on strategy, business development and more. Here's what I've learned about delegation it's not about offloading the work you don't want to do. It's about building teams where everyone can stretch, grow and shine.

Speaker 1: 2:50

Effective delegation is an act of trust and communication. It means letting people show you what they're capable of and supporting them as they learn and grow and even when they make mistakes. When you delegate well, you don't just lighten your own load. You create space for others to step up, surprise you and develop into leaders and good attorneys themselves. Now, practically, you must set clear expectations up front. You must give context, not just assign tasks. Yes, this takes time, it's an investment up front, but it saves time during the task and on the back end. Also, you must learn to check in without micromanaging. Set expectations for when and how associates can and should communicate with you Nudge without bossing people around, with you nudge without bossing people around, and when someone delivers, recognize their effort, give feedback with an eye toward growth. If you're new to managing or letting go feels uncomfortable, you're not alone. It takes practice and it takes patience, but in the end, delegation is how you build resilient teams and how you create space for your own growth too.

Speaker 1: 4:10

For newer attorneys and associates listening to this episode, start with your legal assistant and paralegals. Make it a conversation. Ask them what they can help you with, ask them what they want to help you with, and then look for opportunities to delegate to them early and often, so that you grow this skill from the jump. The same applies to working with summer associates. That's great training ground for learning how to delegate. And if you want to have a written document that outlines your expectations from the jump, you can go back to season four and take a look at my practice management memo.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Thank you for joining me for this episode of the Grace Period. I hope today's stories and and take a look at my practice management memo. Thank you for joining me for this episode of the Grace Period. I hope today's stories and reflections brought you a little clarity and a new way to think about delegation. Remember you don't have to choose between your well-being and your ambition. By setting boundaries, building supportive habits and giving yourself permission to pause, you can thrive in law, in big law and in life. Until next time, take care of yourselves and in life, until next time. Take care of yourselves and each other. That is the path to our grace period. Disclaimer the views expressed here are solely my own and do not represent the official policy or position of my firm or any organization. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only, not professional or legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship.