For leaders, the fastest path to Burnout City is thinking that you have to be Superman and do everything. This can come from being the best at what you do in your department or feeling that only you can do things the right way.
In the short term, this can work. But over time, all the extra work and extra hours will start to catch up with you. You’ll start making mistakes. Then you’ll start snapping at your team and feel like they don’t support you. You’re spiraling out of control and it will seem like the world is against you.
I love Superman but filling his shoes on a daily basis is a tough task. The Man of Steel does it all alone, which is hard for mere mortals to sustain.
May I suggest looking for leadership inspiration from a different comic book source: The Avengers. The Avengers are a group of superheroes with varied talents and powers. No two are the same.
They understand that together they are more powerful than if they were just doing good as individuals. This is your key thought.
In your workplace, you have people of different strengths and weaknesses. Doesn’t it make sense to harness their talents to maximize the pursuit of your goals?
To Clear the Path to increased productivity from your own, personal Avengers, considers these tips:
Do What You Do Best
You should be spending most of your time doing the things that you do best. If your answer to that is, “But Ken, I’m the best at everything,” then you’re stuck in Superman mode.
Delegate those tasks that don’t produce a high return on investment or take up too much of your time.
Be Part of a Team
You may be the leader but doesn’t mean that you need to do all of the heavy lifting. Set clear expectations for others and explain to them how their efforts contribute to the whole.
When you try to do everything, it’s common to create a barrier between you and your team. Communicate your needs and actively ask for help.
Second Best isn’t Bad
You may be the best at everything in your company but is there that much of a drop off between you and the second best performer?
Consider whether your reluctance to delegate is tied to your sense of self worth. Could you imagine yourself being happier, healthier, and more successful as part of a winning team? This choice could be the difference between burnout and long term success.
Staying with the superhero theme, you might enjoy this video blog about unmasking the talents of your team:
