Let me introduce myself: I am the founder of a Canadian charity called Shift Happens Coaching. I have spent the past eight years with my head down, hammering pegs into holes, building a strong foundation on which this organization can stand. The work I have been doing is important and it is not for the faint of heart. To achieve charitable status is momentous. To say I wanted to quit many times would be an understatement. What kept me going were the faces and voices of the vulnerable youth we serve, and the encouragement of my very resourceful coach. Invariably when I was down and waving my white flag, I would get a call from a youth out of the blue, as if they knew I needed the encouragemen
When I first said yes to writing this article, I assumed it would be a breeze: Not only do I teach the skill of asking for help but, like many of the leaders I coach, I think that I have gotten pretty good at asking for help when I need it. In my enthusiasm for this topic, it was not until I sat down to write, hit a creative block and spent the better portion of a week quietly procrastinating while getting increasingly anxious that it occurred to me: Am I really attempting to write an article about asking for help without actually asking for help myself? For many leaders today, asking for what they want and need, be it more professional freedom, a promotion or help building a new business,
