"Um, I'll take that mentor over there. Up on the top shelf."
"Your mentors in life are important, so choose them wisely." Robert Kiyosaki
Men·tor noun - an experienced and trusted advisor. Life is hard. Leadership is hard. Business is hard. We all need a mentor, and a coach I posit. This person or people are important in our lives and they must be selected carefully. I've seen mentor and mentorship used cheaply in my time helping businesses, mostly in entrepreneurship. A person claims they are a mentor because they shared their contact information and are ready to help another person. Or a leader claims they have a mentor but they don't actually engage with and learn from that person. Here are my thoughts on mentors and mentorship.
For what? What are your mentorship needs? Leadership, finance, sales and marketing are areas where people need growth. Knowing your specific need(s) is a good start.
Who? Most important. Mentors do not have to be sliver-haired men and women. They can be younger than you actually. The key is that they have a deeper level of experience than you do and are effective teachers and coaches. I've been mentored by several people younger than me with more experience in small business for example. Mentors ought to show sincere interest in you and your growth. They ought to be available when needed and there must be a solid level of trust between you. If you do not feel comfortable sharing your warts, you probably have the wrong person.
When? It is nice having mentors to call on but there ought to be a rhythm where you connect to talk about challenges, gain a seasoned perspective, and learn. Often we do not know we are need and, through engaging with a mentor, we gain the perspective we were subconsciously looking for when we need it.
It takes some discipline to commit to mentorship. In the proper mentorship relationship we will be challenged, a bit embarrassed perhaps, and taken from our comfort zone. This is, however, where real growth occurs. Shop around for a mentor and pick yourself the nice shinny one on the top shelf!
Need a leadership mentor? Open this door!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell