Asking for Help

Another path in becoming a leader is recognizing the fact that at some point in your life you are going to need help in getting something done. There are no two ways about it, asking for and getting help will show to you and everyone else that you are human. It shows that you are not all knowing and all seeing. It also shows that you are willing to learn and grow as an individual and as part of the team. Asking for help shows everyone that you need them just as much as they need you. This leads to showing your authenticity and genuineness, which will go a long way towards building your reputation as someone who is not afraid of being a leader but also of someone who is not afraid of being a follower.

Asking for help is a perfectly acceptable thing to do as it does not matter whether the help comes from peers, subordinates, higher up, or outsiders so long as you get it when you ask for it. Do not be embarrassed asking for help as this is how we learn, this is how relationships are built, and this is how we form bonds that will be mutually supporting and strong.

Something else, do not worry about what other people will think about you. At one point, they asked questions and asked for help. If they never asked for help they would not be in the position they are in now, remember ‘we need each other to succeed’. No one goes into a new job or starts a new career by going in on the first day with an “I know everything” attitude, if they did they would not be there very long or they would be quickly put in their place by those that do.

A few things to keep in mind when it comes to asking for help.

• Don’t do it all the time, when you do, you run the risk of being labeled as someone who really shouldn’t be where you are.
  
  
• Before asking for help, know exactly what you need help with. I know, I know, if you knew what you needed help with in the first place you would not be asking for help. So think things through and determine if need help rebuilding a carburetor or just help removing it from the engine block.
  
  
• At some point, you are going to have to make the decision to ask for help based on what will happen if you do not get help with whatever you are doing. Sticking with our carburetor example, you can try rebuilding it while it is still mounted on the engine block, but the last thing you want is for the flywheel spring to go flying off into the nether regions of your garage or land somewhere in your front yard, never to be seen from again.
  
  
• Now you have made the decision to ask for help, what next? Well just like you won’t go to the dentist to talk about your 401k and just like you won’t go to your priest, pastor, or minister for advice on how to secure your Wireless network at home, the same applies here. You need to figure out who you can ask for help. Ask someone who knows what they are doing or if they don’t, ask someone who has an idea who to ask for help.
  
  
• Step up and Ask for help. No need to be fancy or beat around the bush, just ask. Also, don’t talk down to anyone you ask for help from, that is the most surefire way to get a NO. Look them right in the eye (ALWAYS MAKE EYE CONTACT) and ask for the help you need. Give them all the information about what it is you want done, what you tried, and remember the magic words to say: “Please” & “Thank You”.
  

In the end, asking for help also opens the door for those that will need help from you to feel at ease when it is their turn to ask for help. If it is in your power to provide the help, then don’t forget the magic words: “Yes”, “Please”, “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome”. If by some miracle you cannot provide them with the help, then go out of your way to find someone who can. Asking for help is part of being a leader. Remember, being a leader is also being a follower, so please go ask for help, Thank you for your time.


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