Stop Doing It All Yourself!
The Principle of Outsourcing
“I can do it myself.”
It’s a common refrain. What it usually means is, “I can do a better job than anyone else.”
And you know what? Sometimes that’s true.
The problem is that even if we can do something ourselves, and even if we can do it exceptionally well, we still face a limitation that no amount of talent can overcome: there are only so many hours in a day.
We all have areas of expertise, but none of us are experts at everything. Even when we possess the skills to perform a task, we have to ask whether doing it ourselves is the best use of our time.
If we spend our days handling every detail personally, what time is left for advancing our businesses? What time remains for developing new ideas, serving our clients, contributing to our communities, or simply enjoying our families and personal lives?
Many years ago—perhaps from Dan Kennedy, though certainly others taught the same principle long before him—I learned an important lesson: it is often far more productive to find qualified people to help accomplish a task than to insist on doing everything myself.
There are experts in every field. My responsibility was not to become an expert at everything. My responsibility was to identify talented people who could contribute skills and knowledge that complemented my own.
When I learned to do that, my role changed. Instead of being a member of the band, I became the conductor.
The conductor doesn’t play every instrument. Instead, he brings together talented individuals, directs their efforts, and creates something greater than any one person could achieve alone.
The same principle applies in business. By surrounding ourselves with capable people, we multiply our effectiveness. Their expertise enhances our ideas, strengthens our plans, and helps transform vision into reality.
I have no doubt that most of us are capable of doing many things well. But capability alone is not the issue. The real question is whether a task deserves our personal attention or whether it would be better entrusted to someone whose expertise allows us to focus on our highest-value activities.
Outsourcing is not about avoiding work. It is about allocating time wisely.
When qualified people work together toward a common goal, everyone benefits. The organization becomes stronger, the results improve, and the leader gains the freedom to focus on the things that matter most.
In the end, success is not determined by how much we can do ourselves. It is determined by how effectively we can bring together the talents of others to achieve something larger than ourselves.