"Companies tend to praise leaders for being capable, decisive, and self-sufficient. But those expectations can turn into a trap, one that makes it harder for you to ask for what you need to do your job well. This 2019 HBR IdeaCast episode challenges the idea that self-sufficiency makes better leaders-and explains why asking for help is often the smarter move."
"How often do you ask for help? In my personal life, I do it all the time. I might ask another mom to pick up my kids, or my husband to cook dinner. Before Waze, I asked for directions. One time, when I showed up at a fancy event in my commuting shoes - with my heels back at the office - I walked into a dress shop and asked to borrow the ones they let customers use to gauge hem length."
Companies praise leaders for capability, decisiveness, and self-sufficiency, which creates a trap that discourages requests for needed support. Professionals often ask for help readily in personal life but avoid it at work, preferring persistence over solicitation. Asking for help is essential to obtain pay, promotions, assignment support, or resources. Effective help-seeking requires clarifying goals, tailoring requests, and embracing reciprocity. Building and activating social networks, framing requests appropriately, and timing asks increase the likelihood of receiving help. Seeking assistance can strengthen relationships, create obligations that enable future exchanges, and improve team and organizational outcomes.
Read at Harvard Business Review
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