If I had to pick one word to describe women leaders today, it would be exhausted. Especially women leaders in the nonprofit sector.
We live in a fast-paced world where everyone is struggling to keep up. We swipe, scroll, and lead faster than we can blink or catch our breath.
9 Leadership Habits for Women to Make Work Easier
Below are nine habits you should adopt to help you feel more grounded and less exhausted.
1. Hire Help
The number one thing you can do to help yourself is hire help.
Today, hiring help is easier than ever. And with the gig economy, you can start small — one hour or one task at a time. Whether that means getting groceries delivered or contracting with virtual support, help for hire is all around.
I recently started with a new virtual assistant. I was hesitant at first, because I wasn’t sure what I could ask them to do. But I’m so glad I did, because she is taking hours of work off my plate.
2. Say No
As women, we often find it difficult to say no. We are asked to serve on another committee or join a board, help a colleague with a task, attend another meeting.
Sometimes we simply need to say no. No excuses. No rationale. Just a simple, but kind “no.”
3. Delegate
As women, we tend to feel like we can do it better, faster than others would or could. Instead, let’s shift our mindset to believe that different is not worse.
When I delegate loading the dishwasher to my kids, I can’t be upset that they load it differently than I would. The reality is that the dishes still get clean. The same thing applies to work related tasks.
4. Ask for Help
Similarly to “delegate” above, women tend to be worse than men at asking for help.
We do the housework and the paid work, and the jobs of several other people. If you want to be less exhausted, ask for help. Ask your board chair, development committee chair, your number two who wants more responsibility. And if it doesn’t get done in the same way or on the same timeline as you would have done it, that’s okay.
5. Schedule Thinking Time
When we constantly run from one meeting to the next, we don’t have time to do our best work. I often block Fridays as a no-meeting day strictly for thinking time. I save it for planning, thinking, and writing.
6. Ask for a Raise
Yes, that’s right… ask for a raise. A man would. Why not you? Then you will have more to hire help. And pamper yourself during rare bits of down time and on days off.
7. Remember: Progress, Not Perfection
As women, we tend to be perfectionists. While I’m not recommending sending shoddy, sloppy work into the world, it’s more important to make progress than be perfect. At some point it’s time to say — we’ve worked hard enough, checked it, and it’s time to move on!
8. Try Tech Tools
If you have not tried a new service, app, or tool this year, it’s time. Ask colleagues and friends for recommendations. You will be amazed by what’s on the market to help you be more efficient and effective!
9. Lean into AI
After staring at a blank screen and wondering what to write about for this post, I asked Claude for a list of ideas relating to a specific set of topics. In less than 30 seconds, I had more than ten good topics to choose from.
I didn’t ask it to write the post, but simply to generate ideas. It saved me time and energy. Use AI to do the same in your work.
Final Thoughts on Breathing
Last week I was in a strength training class lifting kettle bells and the instructor reminded us to breathe. Of course, I realized, I was holding my breath!
So this is my reminder to you — breathe.
Remember to take deep, calming, cleansing breaths throughout the day:
- Before you pick up the phone.
- Before starting a meeting.
- Before meeting a colleague.
- Before sitting down with a donor.
- While you’re waiting in line.
- While you’re watching TV.
Just breathe. It does more for your mental and physical health than you realize.
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