I had the opportunity to attend a leadership course at the Univ of Tennessee. During my time in this class I learned a lot about myself and my leadership style. The first thing that stuck out to me and really hit home, was a topic that was brought up after we did a class activity that required 11 of us to determine how to travel approximately 30 feet with ten blocks of wood
across a room without touching the carpet or leaving a “resource” without human contact.
We initally tried to lay the blocks out in front of the first person, while sharing the block with another person and slowly and carefully walking across the room. Our first attempt failed when a woman lost her balance from the block. We regrouped and started over. This time we had a lot more
communication, trust, we physically held on to each other and asked for help throughout the activity.
Afterwards, we reflected on the activity and how we came together to reach a solution. The “asking for help” portion resonated with me. I was reminded that although asking for help is not our first preference on getting something accomplished, it is a great way to show your team that they are valued, their input and assistance is needed, and it shows that you trust them enough to help you.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, nor does it show vulnerability, but it is an opportunity to allow others to feel good about themselves and important within the organization. Consider asking for help even when you may not need it and remember how good it makes you feel to help somebody.