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Theres a myth that to be a good leader, you need to be the smartest person in the room. As a result, many leaders struggle to admit that they dont have all the answers. Theyre reluctant to ask for help and end up struggling in silence. This reluctance is normalits a fear-based response to not wanting to look incompetent to your team or superiors. But there is a way you can ask for help that strengthens your position as a leader, rather than undermines it. What you gain when you ask for help Reluctance to ask for help isnt just pride: its often about perception. And this concern isnt entirely unfounded. One study found that male leaders risked being perceived as less competent when they asked for a lot of help. In contrast, their female counterparts in the same study didnt experience a significant drop in perceived competence when seeking help. However, researchers cautioned that it isnt actually whether or not you ask for help, but how you ask. The same study noted that asking for help is critical for leaders to learn and improve. And the benefits of asking for help far outweigh the perceived risks. Harvard Business School researchers Alison Wood Brooks and Francesca Gino found that our mindset around seeking guidance is misguided. We might think that others will see us as less capable, but the opposite is true. In their study, Brooks and Gino found that when we ask others for advice, they view us as more competent. It signals that we value their expertise and dont overestimate ourselves, which is a sign of self-awareness. Moving beyond perceptions, asking for help is also likely to yield better performance results. By utilizing the knowledge, expertise, and insight of your team, you expand your collective problem-solving capacity. Leveraging peoples strengths to solve complex problems is the hallmark of a competent leader. Learning to practice strategic vulnerability Theres a term for what effective leaders do when they admit they dont know everything: strategic vulnerability. Rather than appearing inept or oversharing indiscriminately, asking questions positions you to lead through vulnerability. Thats because you demonstrate that it has a purpose, which is to empower others, utilize their expertise, build trust, and spark collective solutions. Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson, a leading expert on psychological safety, says the simple admission of I might miss something here, I need to hear from you lays a foundation of a psychologically safe environment. By modeling fallibilitynot ineptitude, you create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and share their opinions and ideas. These are all the fundamental elements of a high-performing team. As Edmondson highlights in her research, an environment with high levels of psychological safety is one with fewer mistakes, less duplication, and less fear and anxiety. When you ask questions as a leader, you appear accessible and approachable. This creates the space for others to do the same, fast-tracking the discovery and recovery from mistakes or potentially more fatal decisions. As a leader, you set the tone: what you do becomes the behaviors that you accept, which your team then reinforces. Asking questions models curiosity and humility. When people feel like you value their input, they can see how their contributions matter to the bigger picture. This builds trust, loyalty, and a sense of meaningfulness into the everyday functions of work. Strategic vulnerabilitywhen you do it rightflips the script from looking incompetent to empowering your team. It also beats pretending you have all the answers. How to ask for help without losing authority Asking for help is crucial to your leadership success. But how can you do so without looking incompetent? The key is to be intentional about when and how you ask. Here are some practical ways to ask for help that maintain (and even enhance) your credibility: Frame the problem as a shared challenge Without shifting accountability, frame the goal or problem as a collective one, rather than a personal failing. This enlists the help of your team’s collective brainpower, and doesnt look like you’re simply palming the problem off. Rather than, “I have no idea how were going to launch this new product successfully,” say “Were entering new territory herelets put our heads together to brainstorm how we can do this successfully.“ Lean on the expertise of others Highlighting the knowledge and expertise of the people around you shows respect, and lets them know their contributions matter. Simple framing it as I know youre experienced in Xcan you help me understand this better? goes a long way in showing others you value them and their expertise. Be specific and solution-focused Vague pleas can sound like panic, so be clear about what kind of help you need. Reframe Im lostI need help, to Im not fully convinced our project X plan covers everything. Could you review it and see if were missing anything? This makes the ask direct and specific, clearly showing the intended outcome. It shows youve got a handle on the situation, but see opportunities to close the gaps and make improvements. Use confident humility in your wording Phrases like Id love your take on this or Lets hash this out together convey optimism and authority, alongside openness. Youre inviting others to contribute, creating a collective opportunity to problem-solve while demonstrating youre confident enough to be humble. The goal is to affirm the other persons ability while acknowledging your limitations (without undermining yourself). Connect requests clearly to situations Sometimes you can soften the ask by pointing to an external issue rather than your personal skills. This isnt about making excuses but clarifying that anyone in your situation would need input. For exampe, The client has requested a change to the usual scope, its not something we usually docan I get your insight to find a solution? This demonstrates the complexity of the challenge, not your incapacity as a leadershifting focus onto what you need to solve together, and how that persons expertise is beneficial. Ultimately, leadership isnt about knowing everything. Its about how and when to leverage the strengths of those around you to create outcomes that are greater than the sum of their parts. When you combine clear intention with a thoughtful ask, you open the conversation to solve complex problems you alone couldnt accomplish. And you create a culture where its safe to speak up, ask questions, and ask for help. The only dumb question is the one you didn’t (skillfully) ask.
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E-Commerce
Danish artist Andreas Refsgaard has been combining generative AI with handcrafted prototypes to create unique glimpses of whats aheada future that could one day make artists like him obsolete. What if instead of asking AI to generate a picture, you built a cardboard model of what you wanted it to depict? Thats exactly what Refsgaard has been exploring with his Future Mirror project, which invites students to use recycled materials to build prototypes of artifacts from the future. The Future Mirror web app then feeds these handmade objects into Stable Diffusion, producing unexpected visions of worlds we have yet to invent. I thought it was kind of magical to have kids build something very scrappy [with] toilet paper rolls and papier-mâché, Refsgaard says. Have them imagine wild stories, which they are good at, and then actually see that thing come to life. Since launching workshops with school classes in 2023, Refsgaard has seen kids create prototypes for sustainable buildings, autonomous food delivery vehicles, and teddy bears designed for all-ages space travel. One strength of this approach is that language has many barriers. When I have an idea, or I have something in mind, words can [often] not describe it, Refsgaard explains. Building a model with your own hands allows for more detail, which then influences the final AI-generated image. Thats really, really powerful, he says. A store for AI-generated books Refsgaard has spent about a decade experimenting with machine learning and AI as an artist, often exploring the blurry boundaries between artist and algorithm, authorship and agency. An early example was Booksby.ai, an online bookstore selling paperbacks written entirely by AI. Built in 2018, Booksby.ai came before todays powerful large language models. Instead, it used a much weaker text generator that could create realistic-sounding sentences but struggled with coherent plots. In terms of generative AI, this is medieval, Refsgaard says, noting that the books were barely legible. I don’t think anyone has read an entire book from start to finish, he says, adding, They werent very interesting books. Even so, the store sold about 300 copies, mostly through Amazon. Some books even received five-star reviewsone recommending a book because its knodung, a piece of gibberish generated by AI. Refsgaard enjoys these moments when AI stumbles, though he knows they are becoming more rare. Lets laugh about how bad it is right now, but also think about the future consequences. Because it will be good at some point, he says. That moment is coming quickly. Refsgaard says he wouldnt launch something like Booksby.ai today. Why would I put AI-generated books onto Amazon [now]? Its swamped by AI-generated books already. The fine line between art and a tech demo Another recent project brought reality a little too close to Refsgaards art. As part of a series of experiments with image-to-text models, he built an online meme generator called MemeCam. The web app lets users snap a photo of an everyday object, then uses AI to turn it into a meme. MemeCam was meant as a playful exploration but it quickly went viral. It became extremely popular, my biggest hit I guess, Refsgaard says, noting that his success came at a price. I lost quite a lot of money on it. Although hes not personally a big fan of MemeCams humor, calling it a bit middle of the road, Refsgaard still appreciates its impact. Its sort of like youre indie, and you make a record that gets airplay on big stations, he says. Youre okay with it. The project also made him reflect on what it means to create art in todays fast-evolving AI world. Sometimes even he isnt sure how to define his own work. Are they interesting art, or are they tech demos? When he started working with AI a decade ago, projects relied on basic tools and a lot of custom programming. Today, AI code generators handle much of that work, producing polished but sometimes less-interesting results. Im not going to make something new and unique in Midjourney, Refsgaard says. I dont care how beautiful an image can become. But Im interested in generating that image from cardboard. He adds that making AI art today is way easier technically, but its more tricky conceptually. When AI art replaces the AI artist Despite these shifts, Refsgaard still sees a place for artists like him, who approach AI playfully while also exploring its cracks and limitations. These experiments, he argues, help foster a more informed critique of AI. If you just reject it completely, then the criticism you have of it is typically not very nuanced. As for his own work, Refsgaard plans to keep exploring the shifting line between artist and algorithm as AI continues to evolve. I try to write myself out of my own art, he says, noting that hes also looking to experiment with agentic AI to see whether such agents can create entirely original workseven if that means replacing himself in the process. I try to write myself out of my own art, he says again. I dont mind not being the artist.
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E-Commerce
Twelve years ago, I was interviewing with Suzanne “Suz” Gibbs Howard for a role at Ideo. Suz had been a partner at Ideo for about 20 years and had built her career as a human-centered consultant. I was a young, aspiring designer who didnt fully understand the enormity of the brands name. I just knew how to design learning experiences. I was 25 years old and had previously worked as a grassroots organizer, where I designed experiences to bring people together. After that, I found myself at an online university startup in San Francisco. As fate would have it, Suz had an idea to build a learning platform (which would later become Ideo U), and she needed a junior instructional designer. Yes! I blurted out when she asked if Id be up for a six-week experiment. But in the hours after the call, the fear started to creep in. Sure, I was at a fast-paced, fairly chaotic startup, but it was still a steady job. Id also just finished grad school with student loans. I also lived in a city where people paid $1,200 to live in a walk-in closet. I paced around my living room and called her back. Hey Mark, she said. Hi Suz, I said nervously, but still unaware that the question I was about to ask was ridiculous: If this doesnt work out . . . will you have my back? Suz said yes. But shed later tell me that her yes carried a weight for her. That night, she brought it up with her husband: Should I have said yes? I mean, I dont know if it will work out. And hes taking a risk. Great leaders have your back Suz never once went back on her word. She had my back from that day forward. She mentored meeven when I was probably being difficult. She invested in me, signed me up for sessions with a leadership coach, and connected me with mentor after mentor. Even years after I left Ideo to move to Berlin, shed go out of her way to see me and respond to all my notes within a day. She knew the gravity of saying shed have my back. She didnt take it lightly. And she surely didnt owe that promise to a 25-year-old kid. She wasand still isa giant in the field of design innovation. But thats her style of leadership: she walks alongside you. That experience taught me just how important it was for leaders to have their peoples backs. And that requires the following: 1. See the whole person Supporting your people begins with seeing the wholeness of those you lead. The Japanese term sei-katsu-shawhich describes seeing a person in the fullness of their lifestyle, dreams, and aspirationscaptures this beautifully. Everyone is uniqueget to know their specific flavor. What makes each person tick? What makes their heart sing? What motivates them? 2. Be the net When they take risks, let them know youre there to catch them. When they stumble, dont just criticize themyou also need to offer support, resources, or time to help them recover and learn. It shows them you believe in their potential, even in tough moments, especially in tough moments. What are their fears? How might you help design the conditions for them to lean into those with bravery? 3. Cocreate Yes, I know. Its such an overused word. But having someones back means inviting them into spaces where you can roll up your sleeves together, spaces that are about work and growth. Set goals together that align with the teams mission. Find out what their long-term career aspirations and North Stars are, and figure out how you might be able to help them stretch in a way that gets them closer to that goal. 4. Tell the truth with care Now, I get that this doesnt always scream Ive got your back. When youre young (and a little naive, like I was), it can feel like a critique. But the leaders who truly had my back showed me that my blind spots werent just flawsthey were part of what made me whole. For example, my ability to light up a room and unlock people could also suck a room dry if I was burned out or stressed. 5. Show up, dont just say so Dont just say the thing, do the thing. The most inspiring leaders dont wait for the perfect momentthey create it. They understand that words are hollow without the weight of action behind them. They know that action is where purpose meets the real worldand where real growth begins. Whats one small step that you can take to show up? Whats something you can do that they might remember forever? Suz changed my life. We both believed in the sanctity of those words: I have your back. Back then, I only understood them in the context of friendship. Now I know what they mean by leadership. And heres what Ive learned: its not just about giving. Theres something profoundly reciprocal about it all. The real gift is getting to witness someone else grow, thrive, and leave their mark on the world. Thats the beautythose relationships, built on mutual care, end up shaping you just as much as you shape them.
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E-Commerce
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