Why Is Mentoring Important?
Why is mentoring important? The answer lies in the wisdom outside of your own capacity.
Behind every successful person is a collection of supporters encouraging, challenging, and pushing an individual. Even the Long Ranger had Tonto, Batman had Robin, and Superman had Lois Lane. Dig into every person who is thriving, charging into life, and taking ownership for their development, you will find a support team close by.
Out of all the supporters, the most notable figure in a person’s life is their mentor. Mentors have been a significant factor to individuals as long as we have documentation of history. Even look into the bible and you will find Moses had a mentor named Jethro. Mentors is not a new phenomena. It is as old as time itself. However, how mentorship has developed over the years has changed.
If we have any passion and care about the future, mentorship needs to be continued on into the next generation. But we are seeing presently a lack of mentorship and this needs to change. Both parties, the mentee and mentor need to step up their game if they want to see the next generation rising up to the challenge of succession.
What Is Holding Mentorship Back?
We all have schedules to keep and expectations to fulfill, but mentorship needs to be part of every person’s priorities. Whether you are the younger generation looking for a mentor or the older generation looking for a mentee, there must be a time investment.
Is it always convenient or the best use of time, maybe or maybe not, but there must be time invested. Invest into the search for a mentor or mentee. The search for a mentoring relationship is just as important as the relationship itself. Having the right people around you is crucial. Mentorships that are forced and dictated do not possess the same value as those chosen and decided upon. Take the time to find your mentoring relationship.
Some decide not be mentored because of pride. Pride can resist a mentee from seeking out wisdom. Pride can also resist a mentor from sharing their wisdom with the younger generation. No matter which role you fall into, do not let the pride stand in the way of cross-pollination of generations. There has always been great value of intergenerational relationships, see the importance and fulfill this opportunity.
How Will Mentorship Change The Outcome?
When faced with crucial decisions in life, you need an advisory board. People who are able to speak into your life without bias or restriction. Mentorship gives you this value. The deeper and more meaningful a mentoring relationship exists, the greater the relationship will have on crucial decisions in life.
Everyone encounters decision points in their lives, but who do you have or who are you allowing to speak into your life? There is no one greater than a mentor in these moments. A mentor will be able to pull out all different factors you may have overlooked and forgotten about. They will give you a way to evaluate how to come to a decision and move on the decision.
One of the greatest skill set to possess is decision making. Those who have learned the skill of being decisive and have the ability to make wise, productive decisions will advance in any area of life. A mentoring relationship will help you in this area. It will produce on a compounding affect.
Where Is Your Mentor?
It does not matter how old you are, everyone needs a mentor. People who are late in their career usually have multiple mentors. A different set of mentors for every area of their life. This is wisdom. Wisdom is not only contained between your ears nor your experience, wisdom is in your intake. Who you allow to speak into your life is wisdom.
Now it is your job to seek out your mentors. Do not second-guess or doubt someone’s willingness to mentor. You will never know if someone would be willing to mentor you unless you ask. When you get into your mentoring relationship, stay proactive with the relationship. It does not matter if you are the mentee or mentor, you must be pouring into the relationship. In fact I would go as far as to say the mentee should be pouring more into the relationship than the mentor. The mentor will be pouring in advice, wisdom, and expertise. As the mentee you can serve and bless the mentor in other ways. Be creative in giving back to your mentors. This is a relationship and the blessing must go two ways. Give as much as you receive.
No matter how young you are, the time is now to start building your advisory board. Build the board of mentors to make the ultimate impact in your life.
