Asking for Help
As leaders it's often difficult to ask for help. After all, you're the one that people turn to for answers. Maybe you feel like it's a sign of weakness. You don't know what you're doing. How can you be trusted to lead if you need help?
These are all wrong.
Everyone needs help. No matter what level of the organization you're at.
Today I'd like to examine some different sources of assistance that you might want to explore.
Your Team
Part of the purpose of your team is to help get things done - help you can get from them includes:
Specialist knowledge - you surrounded yourself with experts for a reason - use their knowledge and experience.
Delegation - you don't have to do everything yourself. You might have a high quality bar but they will never learn if you don't give them the opportunity to.
Support - share your challenges with them, where appropriate. They might have ideas that you haven't thought of
Your Peers
Similar to your team, you can ask your peers for help. Sometimes just getting a different perspective on a problem can be enlightening. This has the added benefit of building trust and will enable you to work more closely in the future, and to offer help in return.
Under certain (very specific) circumstances you might want to ask one of these folks for help
Your Boss
Unless you're working in a particularly toxic environment - in which case *get out* - you should be able to ask your boss for help. For example, if your challenge is in areas where getting more context, a bigger picture view, a more senior perspective might be helpful.
If you're the CEO, consider raising the challenge with the board. They're there to help you and the organization to be successful, after all.
Mentors
You should have two types of mentors - one internal, more senior in the organization but not necessarily in the same part of the business; and one external, perhaps further along in their career in a similar field.
For very senior and C-level leaders an internal mentor might not exist - in which case finding someone external that is in a similar industry or running a similar company, that is a little more mature might be helpful.
They can help guide and support, and alert you of any potential pitfalls. The internal mentor should be able to help particularly with the political and organizational landscape, and the external can be useful for those things that you really don't feel comfortable about talking about internally.
Coaches
In advice I know will shock you, I recommend working with a coach. Realistically coaches nowadays are not only about helping you develop and change, although that is a core function. Much of my time with clients is spent acting as a trusted advisor and thinking partner, a cheerleader and listening post, as well as doing 'pure' coaching.
Find someone who challenges you, you trust, and want to work with, and they'll be worth every penny.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. It'll prove to be a weight off your shoulders.
When you're ready, I offer 1:1 coaching for leaders who are looking to take their life and career to the next level. Send me an email and we'll set up a time to have a chat.
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