Which statement about delegation is true?

• A. You may delegate authority to others to help accomplish the mission, but you cannot delegate responsibility.
• B. Delegation means you must personally perform every task.
• C. Delegation transfers all responsibility and authority.
• D. Delegation is only used in informal settings.

Answer: (B)

Delegation means you empower others by giving them the authority to carry out tasks to help accomplish the mission, while you retain accountability for the outcome. You don’t have to do everything yourself; distributing tasks lets you focus on the bigger picture and develops your team. You assign clear tasks, provide what they need, and monitor progress, but you don’t shed your ultimate responsibility for results. This is why the statement that describes delegation best is the idea that you may delegate authority to others to help accomplish the mission, but you cannot delegate responsibility. Delegation isn’t about transferring all responsibility or about doing tasks only informally; it’s a formal practice used to accomplish goals with supervision and accountability.