Becoming a Good Shepherd: Part II

The qualities of a good shepherd in the Bible are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified as Level 5 Leaders in his classic book, “Good to Great.” The second quality Collins identified is Asking for help.

Unfortunately, many business leaders believe asking for help is a sign of weakness. When I was in banking, I respected one of my bosses for his willingness to ask for help. Due to my CPA background, he realized that I could shed light on complex loan requests differently than he could.

Proverbs 12:15 teaches, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

Notice the fool in the passage above’s only instruction is from himself. The evidence of his foolishness is his actions, but the beginning of his foolishness is his unwillingness to look outside of himself for guidance. It is impossible to navigate life free of assistance and absurd to imagine you can grow without the guidance of others.

If you desire to be a good shepherd to your people, don’t be hesitant to ask for help thereby setting a good example for your team.

Questions for Reflection

• Who do you ask for help from? Who is your go-to for business advice? Who can you rely on to help you navigate difficult problems? If you can’t think of anyone off the top of your head, where could you look for someone?
• Who can you help? Who may need your assistance or your guidance? Are you willing to put in the time and effort to actually help someone else?