The Leadership Skill that Changed Everything for Me

Early in my HR career, I was convinced that asking for help meant I wasn’t good enough. I had this picture in my head of what a strong professional should be—confident, self-sufficient, and able to juggle everything without missing a beat.

So I tried to be that person. For a long time.

There’s one moment I still think about. I was working on three major HR projects at once—policy updates, training rollouts, and a staffing issue that I thought I alone could fix. I stayed late, skipped breaks, and kept telling people, “I’ve got it.”

One afternoon, a coworker poked her head into my office and said, “You look tired. Do you need help?”

Without even looking up, I gave the sentence that should be printed on a burnout poster: “No, I’m fine.”

Except I wasn’t.

I felt overwhelmed, behind, and worried that if I admitted I needed help, people would question whether I could handle my role.

A week later, I let a deadline pass without action and the project slipped. I approached my GM sheepishly, admitted my mistake, and with a small voice, asked for assistance.  I thought I was being budget-conscious when I did everything myself.  Instead, it was budget-foolish.  He agreed I needed help and I hired a temp.  

It was such a simple sentence, but it shifted everything. Not just how I worked, but how I led.  I felt more confident asking for help.  I felt more confident in my delegation skills.  I got a lot more done.  

Where We Think We Start…Where We Actually Do

We like to believe we start our goals with a clean plan and a clear direction.   But usually, we start from fear.

Fear of failure.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of success.
Fear of not being enough.

Add in ego, assumptions, and imposter syndrome, and it’s easy to get stuck.

My experience wasn’t unusual. Many leaders and employees walk around carrying too much, trying to prove themselves, and hoping no one notices they’re struggling. Asking for help feels like the last thing they should do, when really, it’s what would make everything easier.

The Risk We Forget to Measure

In business, we talk a lot about risk. Financial risk, operational risk, legal risk. But the kind of risk that quietly causes the most damage is isolation.

When leaders try to solve everything alone, a few things start to happen:

• Burnout
• High turnover
• Slow decision-making
• Stalled progress
• Teams who copy the same silence

When leaders don’t ask for help, employees learn not to ask for help either. And that’s when mistakes increase, engagement drops, and people start looking for workplaces where support is the norm, not the exception.

Asking for Help as a Retention Strategy

The day I finally asked for help, I learned something important: people actually wanted to support me. And instead of looking less capable, I built stronger relationships and did better work.

The same thing happens inside organizations when leaders encourage honest conversations and create space for people to admit what they need.

People stay in workplaces where they feel supported. Not in theory, but in practice.

That’s why I created the Employee Retention Snapshot. It’s designed to help leaders step back, get clarity, and work through challenges with someone in their corner.

It includes:

• A guided discussion to understand what’s happening
• An action plan that aligns with your values
• A follow-up to help you keep the momentum

Leaders don’t need more pressure. They need tools, resources, and someone to partner with them. I learned that firsthand.

The Moment Everything Changes

If my early career taught me anything, it’s that asking for help is not a weakness. It’s the moment everything starts to shift.

It’s when confidence begins to rebuild.
It’s when connections form.
It’s when culture starts to improve.

And if you’re looking to strengthen your team, reduce turnover, and create a workplace where people want to stay, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Sometimes the most impactful leadership move is simply saying, “I’m ready for help.”

And if you're ready to strengthen your team, reduce turnover, and create a workplace where people thrive, schedule a call today to find out more about the Employee Retention Snapshot and guiding your team to an incredible future!