The First Thing I Delegate When I'm Drowning

Author

Peter Delle
July 17, 2025

When I’m underwater — inbox stacked, back-to-backs all day, team Slacking me like I’m Google — the temptation is to offload something strategic.

Usually the thing I’ve been meaning to delegate.

You know the drill: the ops doc, the CRM clean-up, the Q3 planning matrix that still lives in your brain.

But here’s the truth:

When I’m drowning, I don’t delegate the “smart” thing.

I delegate the thing that’s quietly killing me.

Usually it’s:

  • That one client who texts me at 11PM.

  • The “quick” feedback loop that turns into 2 hours.

  • The role I hired for, but still haven’t let go of.

It’s not strategic. It’s emotional.

It’s the thing that’s draining the battery I need to stay the CEO.

Because here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:

Delegation isn’t about efficiency when you're overwhelmed.

It’s about preservation.

Not preserving ego. Not preserving output.

Preserving your ability to lead next week.

So if you’re overwhelmed right now — skip the frameworks.

Just ask:

What’s the task I’m resenting most this week?

That’s the one to delegate.

Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s “your thing.”

Because if you don’t offload that pain point — everything else will collapse on top of it.

—Peter