Mentors in business - thats a good thing right ?
Think carefully before you mentor ...
What to look for in a business mentor ?
I have kissed a few frogs in my time in my quest for business advice. When you choose to have mentor they must commit to you as much as you do to them - they need to be on the same page with values and honesty and they need to demonstrate the following qualities…..
Passion : Do they have belief ? You don’t just want a mentor just to thump their chest and pout about meaning - you want them to demonstrate meaning and underlying commitment - you need them to show they ‘get’ you. You need to breathe their belief - you need to feel that they are passionate about YOU
Belief : Do they understand your belief system and values ? Or are they just walking the walk ? Talking the talk ? Do they back YOU when the chips are down ?
Guts and determination - will they force you to face your fears and admit your misgivings - they are not there to stroke your ego but equally they are there to protect your interests ? They dance a dance of loving you and driving you - not all mentors can achieve this.
Being a mentor means running the tightrope of friend and foe - they need to know when to love
and when to set you free.
Get it right and the relationship builds - get it wrong and it is a disaster!
When you go looking for a mentor -YOU are always ready -YOU went looking — the problem is …are they ???
