ADDICTIVE LEADERSHIP
ADDICTIVE LEADERSHIP
Addictive Leadership's 5 R's Checklist is a simple communication tool that ensures your delegation actually lands. It helps you avoid what we call the "transmission trap," which is thinking that saying something equals communicating it.
Most delegation failures come from a lack of training, not a lack of talent. The burden of being understood rests with the sender, not the receiver. If your staff keeps "messing things up," the issue often isn't them; it's that the signal wasn't received clearly.
A teacher is judged by what they teach, but a great teacher is judged on whether their students can do the work without help. This checklist helps you be that great teacher, so you can delegate with confidence and stop taking work back.
Do they understand why this task matters?
People perform so much better when they understand the purpose behind the work. Don't just hand off a task; explain its significance to the client, the firm, or the project.
And for morale, add one more layer: Why do you trust them specifically to handle it? This builds ownership and confidence.
Define what success looks like in clear, observable terms.
Vague instructions like "just clean it up" or "make it better" set people up to fail. Instead, be specific:
If you can't picture what "done" looks like, neither can they.
Do they have the tools, templates, and authority they need?
Think beyond just files and software. Consider decision-making authority: What level of decisions are they allowed to make on their own? What requires your sign-off? Clarifying this upfront prevents bottlenecks and unnecessary back-and-forth.
Ask them to bring you a draft at 80% complete, not 100%.
Delegation isn't just pushing work off your plate. It's coaching. When you review at 80%, you can:
This saves them from spinning in perfectionist circles and saves you from the temptation to take it back and redo everything yourself.
Have them restate the expectations back to you.
We've all had moments where we zoned out and missed what someone said. Don't assume they caught everything. Ask: "Can you tell me back what I just explained?"
Then confirm they're leaving with a clear timeline for deliverables and check-ins.
Rationale: "This tracking keeps our engagements on schedule and helps the partners see where we stand at a glance. I'm handing this to you because you've shown great attention to detail and I trust you to own it."
Results: "Here's the current tracker I've been using. Each Monday, I need all active projects updated with current status, next steps, and any flags. I'll show you an example of what a good update looks like."
Resources: "You'll have full access to the project management system. For scope changes under 5 hours, you can approve those yourself. Anything bigger, loop me in first."
Review: "Let's check in after your first update. Show me where you're at before you finalize it, and I'll give you feedback."
Responsibility: "Can you walk me back through what you're going to do and when?" (They restate.) "Perfect. First draft due to me by Monday at noon."
Training your staff is not an interruption to your work. Training is the work of leadership. If you don't train them, they can't grow. If they can't grow, the firm can't scale.
Use this checklist every time you delegate something meaningful. It takes five extra minutes upfront and saves you hours of rework, frustration, and the temptation to just do it yourself.