"HELP?" Said the Executive.

Help. Do we need help? The answer is obviously yes!

So why is asking for help so difficult for leaders. Good Leaders can delegate. A few know where to find help. Even less know how to ask for help.

In a recent HBR interview of Prof. Wayne Baker, the topic of help and the art of asking for help.

HBR Interview: The Art of Asking for (and Getting) Help

In the piece, Professor Baker, walks us through the sociology and psyche of leaders. His research is focused on the decision making, process and soliciting help.

There are many factors that influence a leader to shy away from asking for help. Some of the factors are true for me. I guess you might find a few as well. Knowing why we are hesitant to ask for help is the first part of this article.

The second part, helps us to changing our mindsets on the topic. Prof. Wayne provides several techniques and strategies, to ask and get help. While the third part touches on building a culture of support. Meaning encouraging the organization and it's resources to expect support and to often ask for help.

For the executive reading this article, I recommend the following.

First, listen to the HBR interview. It is a little long at 27 minutes. But it is well worth the time.

Second, if you are not apart of an executive or leadership group. Join one.

Third, I would like to be a sounding board for you. Reach out to me by email or direct message. My role at EEI is to be an executive confidant and technical sounding board.

To learn more about asking for help, listen to Professor Wayne's interview. To learn more about how EEI and I can help you, drop me an email.

About the Author:

As Chief Strategy Officer at EEI (Enrich Enterprises, Inc.), Nick Rich helps drive change and corporate strategic initiatives for both clients and partners. In addition, he is a writer & speaker on Innovation Strategies, Digital Transformation and the future of Shared Services. Nick’s articles and videos help to inform, educate and support directors, executives and board members on topics of Data, Security, Automation and Business as a Platform. To learn more about Nick or EEI, you can email nick@trusteei.com or visit: trustee.com.