I like to start the week on the subject of Mentors, who are positive people by definition. It takes a positive person to give of him or herself to help another learn, grow and succeed. I am sure most of you have or had a mentor or mentors in your life or you are a mentor yourself.
Here are the characteristics of a good MENTOR…
MENTOR: Is someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.
• Someone who is willing to share his wisdom, knowledge, skills and expertise.
• Someone who had a positive outlook on life. They helped me through tough times and showed me how to find the opportunity in the difficulties I was facing.
• Someone who is genuinely concerned about you and your success. In addition to being knowledgeable, they were empathetic.
• Someone who really knew what they were doing. You respected them for their knowledge and skills.
• Someone who kept growing themselves. My mentors were curious and inquisitive. Sometimes the roles were reversed. They asked what I was reading, and then read the books themselves – so they could learn and we could discuss the ideas.
• Someone who will give you direct, constructive feedback. They will hold you to high standards. They congratulated you when you met their expectations. They corrected you when you failed to do so – but in a manner where you learned what not to do the next time.
• Someone who was respected by their colleagues. Choosing someone who is highly regarded in his or her field or company is one of the best ways to identify a mentor.
• Someone who sought out and valued the opinions of others. A Good mentor will always tell you to listen most carefully to the people with whom you disagreed – in that way you might learn something.
I know that I am a good Mentor and working hard to be a great one. What about You?
Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT
