You Can't Do It Alone - Top Five Benefits of Asking for Help

Entrepreneurs are a lot like the early American pioneers -
forging new ground, following their visions and making them real.
In order to succeed these pioneers relied on the notion of
"rugged individualism", a concept now woven into our cultural
fabric. Unfortunately, this valuable idea can be taken too far,
leaving us feeling like we must do it alone. As a result, many
of us believe that doing it alone is better and more virtuous,
and that pulling yourself "up by your bootstraps" signals a sign
of character.

I consistently encounter clients - entrepreneurs and
non-entrepreneurs - who believe that being a Lone Ranger is the
way to go, and that if it's not hard, it's not worth doing.
There's a difference between challenging yourself and taking the
hard road when you don't ask for available assistance.

Top Five Benefits of Asking for Help:

- Create community. Through the act of receiving, you cultivate
partners and mentors to support your vision. Just like you
enjoy giving to others, people want to give to you. When you
ask for help, you extend the opportunity for others to give
back. When you are engaged in something exciting, risky or
daring - like entrepreneurship, you'll find that people love to
participate in your vision. It's exciting and gratifying to be
part of another's adventure and see them succeed.

- Achieve your vision and its supporting goals more quickly when
you ask for what you want and need. Use the question "Who do
you know who?" to reap the benefits of financial, business,
emotional or spiritual assistance. When you need to make a
specific request, you gain clarity. If you aren't sure what
you need, request a brainstorming session to create an avenue
to clarity.

- Get to yes. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. I
attended a conference where a film maker shared her experience
of making a documentary about the women leaders of the world -
presidents and prime ministers. When asked by an audience
member how she went about asking these leaders if she could
interview and film them, she said, "If I didn't ask, the answer
was always no."

- Watch "No" turn into "Yes." Even if you hear "no" as the
answer to your initial request, you've planted a seed in that
person's mind by asking. Don't be surprised when he or she
comes back to you and says, "This is what I CAN do for you..."

- Develop the skill of receiving. As a coach, I often hear, "It's
easy for me to help others, but I don't feel comfortable asking
for help." Most of us internalize the lesson, "It's better to
give than receive." Receiving is just as important as giving.
The ability to receive fully and gracefully is a skill to
develop like any other. When you receive, you give others the
opportunity to give.

As an entrepreneur, you are the captain of your ship. But as any
successful leader knows, it takes all hands on deck to secure a
successful voyage. You can't do it alone. Recall anyone you've
heard about who's successfully realized a vision. I can
guarantee that individual asked for and received assistance in
achieving his or her success.