Grove distinguishes delegation from abandonment. Assigning a task to someone else transfers responsibility for carrying out the work, but it does not remove the manager’s responsibility for the outcome. Effective delegation therefore requires continued awareness of progress, appropriate checkpoints and a willingness to intervene when necessary.

The principle reflects a broader view of managerial accountability. Managers need to give employees enough autonomy to perform their work, while still ensuring that important commitments are being met. Follow-through does not necessarily mean constant supervision or taking the task back; excessive involvement can undermine delegation itself. Instead, Grove argues for a balance in which authority is distributed but accountability remains clear. The quote is therefore a reminder that delegation is a continuing management process, not a way of transferring all responsibility for a task to someone else.