You said it in the leadership meeting. Take ownership. Make the call. Stop checking with me. Everyone nodded. Within a fortnight, the same decisions were back on your desk.
You did not fail to delegate. There was nothing to delegate into.
The pattern is not about willpower. It is about architecture.
Every one of these assumes the structure works and the behaviour needs to change. The reality is the opposite.
Why delegation does not work without structure
Delegation assumes there is a defined structure to delegate into. Decision rights. Thresholds. Resolution rules.
Your people are not indecisive. They are operating in a structure where the last person who made a call without checking created a problem.
What people try next
Add meetings — creates a holding pen for unresolved decisions.
Add reporting — produces a detailed view of the decision queue. The queue still ends at your desk.
Hire a COO — the new hire inherits the same structural conditions.