According to dictionary.com:
Mentor:
1. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher
2. An influential senior sponsor or supporter
Synonyms: advisor, master, guide, preceptor
I am a big believer in mentorship. I receive and provide a lot of it. The importance of mentorship can never be understated! As Malcolm Gladwell shows us in his book, Outliers, no one does it alone. If you don’t have mentors, get one immediately! Mentorship has been a very powerful part of my life and it will continue to be something I hold very dear to my heart.
If you are on the fence, here are my top 5 reasons you shouldn’t go without a mentor:
1. No Consequences
A mentor provides you with permission to speak freely – no judgments, no consequences, only help. It’s a lot easier to be honest when you know the person listening is only there to help you get better. With a good mentor, anything goes.
2. Watch Out For That Big Pothole
Mentors have been there, done that. Let their challenges and obstacles fuel your success. Regardless of your path, a good mentor can alert you to the challenges ahead before you fall flat on your face. And if you do hit a brick wall, they’ll help you get back up.
3. Looking Everywhere But Forward
Their perspective can help you move forward with a 360 degree view. While you are busy looking forward they can help you look sideways, above, behind and around the corner. Typically this involves asking you questions you never even considered.
4. Like A Day At The Spa
Sometimes a little reprieve goes a long way. Having coffee with your mentor can give you a chance to breath and get out of the day-to-day hustle. Extra mental space can make a big difference.
5. All About Me
Between my consulting work, clients, managing employees, bosses, kids and school, I feel like I am always giving. Being with my mentors makes me feel like I am getting. It fills my cup back up. I can then go back to walking through the world feeling balanced.
A quick note to those of you that have a mentor, don’t forget to go out of your way to thank them. For those of you that watched the Broncos – Patriots game a few weeks ago you probably know that Josh McDaniels (Broncos coach) trained under Bill Belichick (Eagles coach) for 8 seasons. That is a lot of wonderful mentorship. In fact, after losing Superbowl XXXVIII, Belichick gave McDaniels a “5-page typed report on what it takes to be an effective head coach and run a winning organization.” (widipedia). How cool is that! Back to the game…It was a good game, and the Broncos won. But, what play do I remember from that game? It’s the one I didn’t see. I didn’t see McDaniels go out of his way to find Belichick to shake his hand. I didn’t see the mentee thank his mentor. I’m hoping it happened outside the spotlight. The lesson, thank your mentors. They work hard to help you be succeed in life.
To my mentors…THANK YOU!
Dream big. Dream often. Go barefoot in the grass!
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Filed under: Tamara's Musings | Tagged: creativity, imaginative play, imaginibbles, innovation, mentorship, right brain exercises, succeeding in life, tamara kleinberg, tips to success, top 5 reasons mentors
