Here is the third and final part… =)
Part II focused on the importance of consciously creating the right environmental influence for ourselves …to cloak our minds with the richness of spirit and experiences true mentors can bring into our lives, and as a by-product, our businesses. And why do I say that business success is a by-product? Because the most difficult thing to overcome is hands-down…ourselves!
So here in this last post, it’s time to talk about the ‘mentor’ part of the equation. The Latin root of the word means a ‘wise advisor’, an essence that has somewhat been lost today. And what characteristics actually define a ‘wise advisor’? Well, that dear people I cannot give a definitive answer for. It’d be great to have a check list of all the characteristics and tick off each one….sort of like a standardised measure. But then the problem with anything ‘standard’ is that they are really anything BUT standard when you throw human perception into the mix. Here is an example of a list I found on a webpage pertaining to traits of a ‘good mentor’:
- Good listener
- Knowledgeable
- Nonjudgmental
- Able to give constructive feedback
- Honest and candid
- Able to network and find resources
- Successful in career
- Willing/able to devote time to developing others
- Eager to learn
So let’s take the first dot point for example: what really defines a ‘good listener’? Ask 10 different people and you will receive 10 somewhat different responses. 1o points of view which are all perfectly valid. A ‘standardised’ trait? Hardly! Because when you zoom in on each characteristic and think about it, whatever you come up with can only lie within the realm of whatever summation your consciousness and awareness currently lies. As the spectrum of our experiences expand, the depth of understanding of each characteristic and beyond also increases. So don’t get TOO caught up in the theoretical analytics of such a list. Having said that, I do believe the list above does contains the essence of some great ideals for mentorship. =)
However, one thing for sure about great mentors is that their actions hold true to their values and words. From my personal observations of great mentors I have had in the past and in the present, there are 3 key things they have in order to help their students reach success:
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1. They have the necessary KNOWLEDGE and SKILL sets
2. They have a SYSTEM to teach and deliver the material
3. They are earnestly WILLING to pass on their knowledge and skills to you
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If any of these ingredients are missing, no matter how earnest a student you may be, ‘the gold’ (if you will), will never be passed on to you. If a teacher had great knowledge but lacked a systemised method to teach, chances are the knowledge will be lost in translation (even if they really wanted to pass on their true experiences!) – a case of ‘have’ but ‘don’t know how’. And if the teacher HAD the knowledge, skills and system but didn’t truly want to GIVE away these things to the world (for whatever reason), then quite frankly – the doors were never open in the first place!
In my personal experiences, the few mentors I have been so blessed to come by all possess a way of being that is just simply so in tune with who they are and this natural world they are a part of, that success is simply an inevitable outcome in whatever industry they may be in… I think this is where language may become a bit of a barrier so I’m going to show you an example instead. =) This video from the blog site of one of my online business mentors – Jonathan Budd, has been one of the most powerful online marketing training videos I’ve come across to date, so I really would like to share it here, and perhaps you may get a sense of the ‘alignment’ I’m speaking about. I won’t spoil it and let you decide. Let me know your thoughts after. =D Here’s the link.
More info on his online training system can be found on the Key Resources page.
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Keep Rockin’ & Growing!
PS. You know, I cannot imagine what road I’d be travelling on without the guidance of those who have made it before me…Who has been an influential mentor in your life? Oh and please share this around if it’s been at all helpful! Or better yet, give back thanks and love to your mentors who has been instrumental in your life so far. They would appreciate it! =)
