Throughout much of my earlier professional life, I have been fortunate enough to have worked in organizations led by reputable, passionate and articulate leaders. So it was not difficult to pick out individual(s) I admired and “adopt” as my model leader(s), from whom I could learn.
But as I progressed in my career, it got harder. I quickly learned that leadership, by and large, has changed. High calibre of leaders appeared few and far between as individuals sacrificed their responsibilities as heads of corporations, in exchange for bonus payouts and stock options. Sadly, it appears, the larger the corporation, the more prominent this culture permeates. With some exceptions, there is certainly a trend to move away from coaching and training of the “next generation” leaders.
Nevertheless, I had one of the best mentors possible when I took an assignment overseas. As the President of the division, my boss gave me the benefits of “on the job” mentoring by simply demonstrating his philosophy, his approach to life (and people) by how he operated. Such mentoring is precious and down to earth. He inspired me to become a mentor to young friends seeking to grow and become significant leaders in home, work and society.
Mentoring appears to be very much in fashion today. Perhaps organizations find it valuable in building up “next generation” leaders; perhaps young budding executives want to get ahead and being mentored by someone is trendy and may even be helpful. In truth, Mentoring is as old as the hills. There are plenty of examples in history. But Mentoring is also a science as well as an art. A science because there are good approaches and methodologies to make the process more beneficial and an art, because it has to be conducted by a human being and delivered to another human being. The art turns the process into a relationship.
Being a benefactor of Mentoring, and having seen results of those who benefited from the process, I am clearly an ardent supporter. Before you rush into it, may I ask you to carefully consider the following?
- What kind of professional/leader do I want to become?
- What outcome am I expecting from a Mentoring relationship?
- How much effort am I expected (or prepared) to put into this relationship?
- If you have carefully considered these three questions, you may be well placed to benefit from a Mentoring relationship.
Welcome to the Club!
