The 10-80-10 Principle with Ged and Milan

Welcome back to CardCast! Today, we’re going to be talking about The 10-80-10 Principle.

Do you feel that familiar pull of “I’ll just do it myself”?

The 10-80-10 Principle exists precisely to interrupt that reflex. Borrowed from Dan Martell’s Buy Back Your Time, it’s a simple, practical way to let go of work without letting go of standards.

It acknowledges the very real tension leaders feel: the work needs to be done, it needs to be done well, and it feels faster to do it yourself.

The first 10% is where most delegation quietly fails. This is the work of clarity: defining the outcome, explaining why it matters, setting expectations, and sharing context that normally lives only in our heads. The truth is, if someone “can’t do it right,” very often it’s because we never truly showed them what “right” looks like.

The 80% is the handoff. This is where someone else does the work. It won’t be perfect, and that’s the point! As Martell puts it, 80% done is 100% awesome. The real win here isn’t just time saved; it’s breaking the pattern of “I’ll do it myself”.

The final 10% brings it back to us for review, feedback, and refinement. We make sure the result matches the intent, we close any gaps, and we help lock in learning for next time.

Over time, this shifts us out of doing and into designing better systems, work that scales, develops people, and unties the business from us personally. The key question is: if you didn’t have to do the middle 80%, what higher-value work could you finally focus on?

Key-Card points:
The goal is to build systems, not personal dependence
Delegation is also about transferring learning, not just tasks
Most delegation fails due to unclear outcomes, not weak execution
Doing it yourself may feel faster, but it creates long-term dependence
Delegation done well grows people and frees leaders at the same time

Links & Resources
Veverka.ca
Crystalyzer.com


CardCast is produced by Lovemore Media.