4 steps to get out from under a heavy workload

Being blind to personality traits -- such as being a "cowardly lion" who acquiesces to others, or the bully who gets their way through fear or the loyalist who lets friendship cloud their judgment -- can undermine your leadership effectiveness, writes Susan Lucia Annunzio, the president and CEO of the Center for High Performance. "Leaders must cultivate self-awareness, actively seek feedback, and be willing to address their weaknesses," Annunzio advises.

Put it into practice: Check in with your most trusted advisors to see if you're displaying any leadership blind spots, including being condescending, bullying or cowardly and find ways to work on your weaknesses, writes Annunzio. Such actions can "safeguard their companies from risk but also set the stage for a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement."

If you find yourself covered in work, look for ways to lighten your load by delegating, prioritizing (or asking your boss to prioritize your tasks) and identifying activities that waste your time, writes Shari Harley, the founder and president of Candid Culture. "If you find yourself in meetings all day long, consider which meetings you don't really need to attend or send someone else on your team," Harley recommends.

Put it into practice: Identify which tasks require your undivided attention and best work and which ones you can give less effort to, Harley advises. "Notice when you're doing more than you need to and when that additional work doesn't add significant value."

If you're not clear on the difference between good judgment and being judgmental or how honesty and civility can happen simultaneously, you may need some help with your people skills, Kate Nasser, a people skills coach, writes. Other blunders include homing in on what's stressing you rather than the goal and being determined to win a conversation, Nasser notes.

Put it into practice: Another mistake is perceiving listening as surrendering to the other person's view. "Attention everyone, the world belongs to those who listen, interact, influence, and create a win for all. None of these things constitute surrender!" Nasser says.

Supercommunicators look for clues about which conversation they're having -- emotional, social or practical -- and adjust their questions and interactions from there, which is something everyone can learn to do, says Charles Duhigg, author of "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection." "We don't know what the other person wants from the conversation, but the easiest way to figure it out is to ask general questions: 'What do you make of this?' or 'Why is this important to you?' In return, we can often share who we are, and the other person is prepared to listen," says Duhigg.

A photograph of smooth baby hands clutching the thumbs of the weathered hands of the child's great-grandfather, taken by Yvonne Krystovsky, has won Black & White Magazine's 2024 Black and White Minimalist Photography Prize. Other honored photos among the 1,300 entered include a road that looks as if it goes into the clouds, a stark concrete staircase and a baboon in silhouette in Zambia's Luangwa National Park.

"Emotions influence every single conversation we have," says author Charles Duhigg, even if the conversation is specifically emotional, practical or social. When we neglect that fact, we may miss our chance as leaders (and friends) to create a deeper connection with those around us.

It can be challenging, Duhigg says, when we're communicating through electronic channels of email and online meetings. Duhigg notes research around the telephone and when it was a new form of communication, people were more stilted with each other, but now we can gab on the phone for hours (if you're of a particular generation).

Our newer forms of communication are the same. We're still navigating how best to express ourselves through email, texts and online meetings. We've learned that sarcasm doesn't translate well in these arenas, and body language can be overlooked, which means we must speak more clearly and intentionally to be understood.

"You can have rich conversations on any channel if you keep the rules in mind," Duhigg reminds us.

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