Mentors – make the connection.
This blog post isn't about the importance of acquiring a mentor; there are several excellent articles written about the importance of a good mentor; I am concentrating on my experience and connection with two people who have and still mentor me to this day.
My mentor connections occurred a little later in my career/writing life. Perhaps in the past, we have been conditioned to stay quiet and observe, work with integrity, and educate ourselves independently. Asking for guidance was a sign of weakness, or in some cases, on the flip side, we were so busy getting the job done that if you couldn't do it, then there was a long line of people who could. Why did we need to feel we had all the answers? If you allow yourself to ask for help, you'd be surprised just how many people are willing to be a mentor.
A mentor is human too. They could be a person you work with, a person whose career path you've admired, or in my case, a stranger who replied to my request. I believe the success of our connection was that we felt the same vibrations, which is why we are still incommunicado to this day. A good mentor is not there to be your best friend/psychologist. A good mentor is willing to teach and share their personal/professional experiences with you. They are not there to stroke your ego. They are there to hold you accountable and challenge or highlight those ideas buried deep within. They have that uncanny ability to bring out those answers you hold inside your subconscious. They want you to succeed.
I am privileged with having two mentors. One who has helped me write my first book and is only ever an email message away. A published author in her own right with an incredible life story to tell, she helped navigate the story I wanted to share. And making a promise to read each chapter as I sent through motivated me to commit and feel grateful that someone has an invested interest in my ultimate goal. She shared her history and lessons learned along the way, helped with structure, and highlighted gaps, encouraging me to think differently. The other person who is prolific in my work life is what I consider a man amongst men. Although never formally established a 'mentor/mentoree' agreement, his natural tendency to listen and challenge without discrimination provided a safe platform to be able to ask for help. And as the GM of a multinational, you don't just get to that level because of your incredible business acumen, there must be a lot of excellent people skills, correct?
I'm not sure if our 'projected programme' will ever cease – I hope not – because my dealings with these people, revealing my true authentic self, both strengths and weaknesses and fears, has made me more aware of the power of connection. I know that I can call for support with every word I write and how I execute it in my full-time job. The respect and admiration I have for these people has made me hold myself accountable for my goals, and like last week's blog post, it is a constant bullet point on top of my list!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-stack/?originalSubdomain=au
Read about the importance of the mentor here:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-find-qualities-good-mentor
https://goverb.com/5-attributes-of-a-good-mentor/
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6248-how-to-find-mentor.html
Visit Karenlee Thompson here:
http://karenleethompson.com/wp/
#mentors #thepowerofconnection