Step into Leadership without Overwhelm
Dec 20, 2021
Is your working life full to overwhelm?
Feeling overwhelmed can often be the thing that stops women from taking their first steps into a leadership role or making their next move, because of the belief that more senior leadership will result in more work, more responsibility, more time and more energy being expended.
So I wanted to share four simple tips that have helped me to be able to navigate a busy working role.
My life as a female leader is full, too.
People often ask me how I manage to juggle everything? They talk to me about how feelings of overwhelm can sometimes stop them in their tracks.
In my current role, I work across nine key functions. I speak at events & work with outside organisations I feel passionately about. I also enjoy developing my work here so I am also putting time & effort into developing female leaders like you, reading this post.
I know it can feel impossible to manage your current workload & also show that you are capable of stepping up to the next level in your job because I have been there.
As you start to scale in your leadership role you may feel the need to add more to an already full plate so being able to understand and prioritise your work is very important & it will allow you to take on more without that pressured feeling of overwhelm.
So let’s look at four simple things that can help you navigate the feelings of overwhelm that may come up as you step up.
Leverage your Team
The first thing I would recommend you do is to look at the team around you. If you are managing people, I'd strongly recommend that you look across your team and identify those people with talent that you're likely to promote as you move forward.
Give those team members additional responsibilities so that you can delegate to them confidently. This delegation will allow you the space to stretch yourself & grow into new areas, showing your capabilities & ultimately taking that step into your next leadership role.
It’s important for you to remember that if you want to take on more, you need more support.
Minimize Pivoting
When you are managing many tasks & functions, you may find yourself constant pivoting, moving between quite different tasks & concepts. I have learned that it is beneficial to work in a more aligned manner.
To do this I group aligned things together. I do this in my role by grouping subjects together in meetings, or grouping my meetings covering similar topics together on the same day. Try and group ‘like’ things together so that you are able to work with more ease & flow. It is hard to pivot to different subjects constantly.
Working in a more aligned manner makes it easier for you to make decisions, concentrate & bring the information to mind more readily.
Being quite conscious of how you're structuring your meetings and your calendar will help you to take on more without feeling overwhelmed.
Take Notes and make them Work For You
I take many, many notes. I found myself filling up notebooks and then struggling to access the information I needed in a way that was timely so I knew I had to do something to make this more effective for me in my role.
I switched from the trusty notebook to an online note taking process & it has transformed how I work.
Having my notes available at the touch of a button saves me time, allows me to be prepared & gives me much greater clarity.
It also means that I have to pivot less, which means I am working smarter.
Schedule Clear Time
One of the most impactful things I do in my current role is to schedule some clear time. I try not to have meetings on a Friday. To allow me to do this I group together with my meetings on specific days each week. Friday become I day that I have some clear time.
My clear time on a Friday allows me time for reflection, catching up & maybe some enjoyment.
It can be so easy to fill your calendar & not allocate that clear space to allow you to mop up tasks, process & think. I believe this really helps me not feel overwhelmed with my schedule, my role & my ability to take on additional things when I feel I would like to.
I hope that some of these tips have been helpful for you as you navigate taking on more, stepping up, or moving to a new role. These are simple skills that I talk to when I'm doing Leadership coaching and developing people in Leadership.
I have a Free Group on Facebook for female leaders & I would love to invite you to join us there.
It’s a safe online space for you to get the support you need for yourself within your career.
If you are interested in learning more and would like to join us please click here
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