Everyone has potential for greatness. The problem is that unused potential doesn’t mean anything and is wasted when we don’t move toward developing that potential. You might be pretty good at something, but you can be/do better. Do you want to be better? Who doesn’t?
You need a mentor!
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Coach, parent, disciple, apprentice, or mentor; you can call it what you want. Ultimately, it is developing a relationship with someone that has achieved success in an area you want to develop in.Leaders must always be looking for opportunities to learn and develop themselves.
How does it work? It’s pretty simple actually:
Walk with the wise and become wise – Proverbs 13:20
Surround yourself with the kind of people you want to become.
When I first moved to Texas after graduating from High School, I was a Canadian kid that had really only visited the USA on a few trips to Buffalo. So it’s pretty easy to say I was experiencing a whole new world!
During my first week on campus I met a man who lived close by. He and his wife invited a group of my friends and myself to his place for dessert after dinner. He took the time to get to know us, helped us adjust to life in Texas and made us feel welcome.
Doug was married to his wife for 35 years, had 3 kids and was leading his business and family with excellence. He was the type of father, husband and leader I wanted to be.
I asked Doug if we could meet to talk. He agreed and we met on a weekly basis for a few years. Eventually when I asked my wife to marry me, he and his wife did our pre-marital counselling. He even flew out and performed our wedding!
Doug was a man I admired, he was willing to open his life up to me and I was willing and ready to let him speak into my life.
Mentorship is living life and taking someone on the journey with you. This may take shape as a formal relationship with set meeting times, books to read together, and intentional objectives.
It could look like a short term or one time meeting with specific questions to be asked, or even take place without ever meeting the person. Maybe you read their books, listen to them speak or attend their conference.
However it looks, when you enter into a mentorship relationship with someone here are 5 things to keep in mind:
- Be teachable and willing to receive
- Set clear expectation (how many meetings, how long will each meeting be)
- Meet them when they are available (even if it’s 5am!)
- Be ready! Have questions and something to take notes
- Move to action, take what you are learning and do something with it
In what area of your life today do you want to develop further in? Who could you seek out as a potential mentor?
