Speaker, author and mentor himself, Bob Proctor had once said, “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”
As I write this article, 2018 is right around the corner and with the approach of a fresh new year, comes new learnings, new beginnings, and the constant thought, “Am I heading towards the right direction?” “Are the decision I’ve made scalable and viable?” Now, how can you be certain that the direction is correct? How do you know the decisions you’ve made aren’t leading you to doom? Here’s precisely where a mentor is an important source of advice to you. I am mentoring myself and I know this well that a good mentor will always help you learn and grow by sharing their knowledge and wisdom with you. This way, you benefit from their experiences without having to suffer consequences of gaining that experience firsthand.
mentor in 2018
Let’s take a quick look at the traits mentees are looking at in a mentor in 2018.
Practice And Preach –
Finding people who “talk the talk” really isn’t hard, there are thousands of videos on YouTube. What mentees are looking for is someone who “walks their walk.” They want a mentor for a specific reason, something they want to master. So, based on what they want to learn, they’re looking for someone who’ll exemplify what you want to learn. Of course, there will be ancillary benefits to the entire experience.
A Mentor Who Invests In You And Vice Versa –
Mentoring is a 2-way process. It is an exchange. It is not, “I’m young and inexperienced and so I need answers.” A mentor should want to invest in you–because you are now providing value to them as well. This is a positive sign of a healthy mentorship because both parties are growing.
They’ll Constantly Push You –
You cannot be properly mentored by someone who isn’t willing to push you. A good mentor knows how far to push you–and you are going to question it. You are going to fight it. You are going to try to convince them. You are going to feel overwhelmed–and that’s the point.
They’ll Empathize With You –
Mentors can also be your best pals. A mentorship is about so much more than just learning something. You spend so much time together that you end up knowing each other in a unique way. It’s a friendship that comes around once in a lifetime.
They Really Want To See You Succeed –
A true mentor wants you to know everything they know. They want to teach you so that you can one day take what you’ve learned and integrated it with your own unique skill sets. Your mentor should be your biggest advocate, the one who you can always go back to and share in those early days of learning. They provide context, and are a reminder of where you first began–and they are proud to have seen you come so far.
Finally…
One thing I can say after years of mentoring is that finding the right mentor and being a good mentor is an art in itself. It requires a lot of dedication and commitment only a few have. In the end, it is all worth it and much more.