How to have the confidence to ask for help

Most people have faced professional and personal challenges that are tough to navigate alone. Important conversations are opening up around mental health and vulnerability, however many people still struggle to ask for the support they need from others. Within his new book, Just Ask, Andy Lopata explores the change in mindset needed to embrace the support of others, the power of doing so, and the benefits that transparency can have on success.

At the start of the book Andy discusses his own “Just Ask Journey”. He openly reveals the challenges he faced regarding the rejections of early drafts of his book, but he remained undeterred. He consulted his network for honest support, and this led to him uncovering the perfect format for the book.

The book includes case studies and insights from more than 50 hours worth of exclusive interviews Andy conducted with over 30 business people, psychologists, coaches and inspiring individuals including politicians Jo Swinson and James Cleverly, acclaimed rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward and Footballer Leon Mckenzie.

Covering topics such as finding the courage to open up, setting the strategy, asking the key questions to get what they need and finally, taking action, Andy and his interviewees lay bare their own personal experiences. In one example, Dawnna St. Louis shares her story of a difficult upbringing, homelessness and suicidal thoughts, going on to reveal how she eventually broke the learned barriers and asked for the support she needed to help turn her life around. She then founded her own tech consultancy. 

The book also highlights that readers can inspire vulnerability and transparency in others, revealing how people can offer support as friends via techniques such as Semantic Differential Questioning. He also explains how to be there as a leader, including the power of failure, with reflections from former Board Member of now liquidated Thomas Cook Phil Gardner on how he offered support during that difficult process. Just Ask concludes with Andy’s “Rules of Asking” to provide a comprehensive guide for readers to access their own support network.

Andy is keen to reiterate that asking for help is not a weakness, nor is showing vulnerability, particularly as we are so keen to help those we care about. Just Ask is the perfect read for any individual seeking the confidence to ask for support. It is also ideal for any leader who wants to create a supportive and collaborative workplace for their team.

A specialist in professional relationships and networking for over 20 years, Andy Lopata was called  ‘One of Europe’s leading business networking strategists’ by the Financial Times. Andy is President of the Fellows’ Community, a two-time board member of the Professional Speaking Association UK & Ireland and a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute, as well as a Master of the Institute for Sales Management. Andy is the host of the Connected Leadership podcast and is the author of five books. 

A percentage of royalties from each sale of Just Ask are being donated to My Black Dog, a peer to peer online support service for people struggling with their mental health in England and Wales.

Just Ask By Andy Lopata is available on Amazon now and is published by Panoma Press