Who will I ask? From the Monaco. International blog

I've often had this thought: I wish I had a personal assistant, a fairy godmother, or a team of mice to help me with everything I need to get done. (Can you tell I watched a lot of Cinderella as a child?) 

While I don't have any of those things, here's something I do have: my words. I can ask others for help when I need it. You can too! 

Just because you're a leader doesn't mean you have to do everything or that you have it all together. Leaders are real people, and we need help too! So often we help others, why do we think we'd never be the ones to need it? 

Sometimes it's because we falsely believe that we can take care of it, "it's just one more thing." But soon, we can find that our plates are overflowing with many "just one more" things.  

One of the most effective things we can do as leaders is to learn to ask for help and delegate responsibilities to other people. (This applies at home too.) It isn't weak, it's wise! 

Here's what I've learned the hard way: We can't expect people to read our minds. We will get frustrated and bitter if we sit around waiting. Instead, let's just ask for what we need. Most likely, others are more than happy to help us. (Well, maybe not our kids when we ask them to do chores. But it's still important to delegate responsibility to them as they grow.) 

When we entrust others to step in and help us, we empower them to grow in their leadership. It's a win-win for everyone! 

Take a moment right now and answer these questions:  

• What do I need help with? 

• Who will I ask? 

• Why am I waiting?  

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Andrea Fortenberry, Executive Leadership Coach & Leadership Project Manager