What is the superhero complex and how do I overcome it?

If you feel like you’re carrying the load of your team, you might have a superhero complex? 

What are the tell-tale signs?

• Ending up with too many things on your plate
• Jumping between tasks
• Inability to delegate
• Struggling to finish projects.
• Exhausted, unsatisfied and easily aggravated.

 If you can’t say no and admit the very human trait of being too busy to do a job effectively, you are doing your career and business more harm than good.

So, how can you overcome a superhero complex?

Say no

To start with, you need to say no to future projects that you are approached to work on. Ask your teammates if you the only person that can do this job. The answer more often than not will be no. Encourage them to seek help elsewhere and share with them your current workload and commitments.

Become a team player

A great team is more powerful than great individuals. It’s time to change your mindset, if you are trying to do all of the work, it means there is little left for your team mates to do. Your team are there for you all to share the workload and for everyone to reap the rewards. A good way to start to get your mindset changing is to pass off the work you dislike doing to other team members to get yourself used to the idea of not being fully responsible for a project. It is important to remind your team that their help is crucial to the success of the project and to celebrate the wins together.

Reduce your stress levels

When you are doing everything, it can become quite overwhelming. By taking a step back you are allowing yourself to focus on the bigger picture and not the tasks that need to be done. It is easy to often embark on projects because you can and not because you should. By being able to justify what you are doing to your managers or the rest of the team, you will reduce your stress levels.

Become a better manager

Having an unhappy team reflects more on the manager than it does on those within the team.

Being a manager is all about leading by example. If you are closing doors to the people you are managing, you take the risk that they will do the same to you. But by being open and generous with your team, you are building trust and communication within your team.

The real super-heroes are those who know how to bring others up with them.

Talk to us today to find out more about how to delegate effectively with our expert SmartPA team.