3 Tips for Working with Colleagues and Overcoming Superwoman Syndrome

Working in any type of team environment as a high-powered woman executive can be overwhelming, especially if you feel like all eyes are on you and waiting for you to fail. It's easy to slip into the mentality that it's better to take on everything yourself rather than delegate tasks because you think your colleagues won’t do as good of a job. The problem is, taking on all the work yourself leads to burnout and resentment, which hurts both your career and your relationships with your workers.
Instead of shouldering all the burden by yourself and suffering from superwoman syndrome, there are better ways to ensure success than trying to do it alone. Here are 3 tips for working with colleagues instead of against them:
1. Communicate openly and often— Take the time to have regular meetings with those you work with so that everyone's on the same page. That way, everyone can stay up-to-date on their responsibilities while also having the opportunity to share their ideas.
2. Ask for help— It’s ok if you don't know how to do something or need help with a project, even if you are a C-level executive; don't be afraid to ask for help from someone who may have more knowledge or experience than you in that area. Asking for help shows strength, not weakness, and expresses an appreciation for collaboration with you and those you work with, above dealing with things on your own and in isolation.
3. Be open-minded— Different people will have different approaches, ideas or solutions — accept them and see what works best for you before making assumptions about your collaborators' capabilities or intentions. A good leader listens first before judging an idea or pushing it aside; keep an open mind when brainstorming together so that everyone feels valued at the table regardless of rank or seniority level.
Working together with your workers or collaborators on a project doesn’t mean giving up control — it means pooling resources together in order to achieve common goals efficiently and effectively without feeling burnt out in the process. Communication, collaboration and trust will set strong foundations for successful leadership teams where everyone feels seen and supported while still being able to get things done quickly!