There’s a long running joke that leaders delegate the things they hate to do themselves. There’s some validity (and sanity!) to finding people who enjoy tackling the tasks that drain your will to live. But unless delegating becomes less about lightening your load and more about developing your leaders, you’ll keep making these five common mistakes.

1) Assigning tasks without providing authority. Dealing out tasks without providing the accompanying authority to create solutions, adjust midstream and challenge the process creates mindless followers, not engaged leaders. This authority needs to be clearly communicated to those staff will encounter while carrying out their assignment.

2) Delegating based on your need and not their strength. How well do you know your team members? Knowing and considering their personality, leadership style, preferred forms of communication and gifts will help you set them up to succeed. One way to best leverage their individual strengths is to create ample opportunity for the team member to ask you questions related to the process and the desired outcome.

Delegating and developing must go hand in hand.

3) Getting frustrated with lower quality. It is highly likely that there will be a drop off in quality when you hand off certain tasks. But if delegation is about leadership development, then you will see that as a necessary result in the pursuit of a bigger better goal. Having said that, be sure to communicate the non-negotiable items up front and leave room for the team member’s preference to vary from yours.

4) Saving the day too quickly. Rushing in with your wisdom and expertise to save the day results in leaders who are looking over their shoulders waiting for you to bail them out. Leaders learn and grow from failure more than they do from success. Create safe parameters so that the failure isn’t overly destructive and then let them give it a go.

5) Checking in and following up only when things are bad. It is important to be proactive and communicate checkpoints on the front end. Let them know in advance that you will check in with them before, during and after the process. This makes your checking in and following up seem less about controlling them and critiquing them and more about a vital part of an intentional plan.

One final piece of advice: Always, always, always take the time to explain the why behind the what when you're delegating tasks. In other words, take every opportunity to cast vision. Delegating is more than handing things off; it is about handing a baton off—to the next generation of leaders.