The Gift of Mentoring

Most of us can vividly recall persons in our lives, especially influential leaders, whose advice and counsel deeply influenced our decisions or affected how we approach our current leadership roles. Imagine life without these important role models. Mentoring others is a special gift that leaders should treasure, model, and pass on. It doesn’t matter if your leadership involves being a parent, a business executive, or a community advocate. Mentors are important at every stage and station of life.

I have been fortunate to benefit from many effective role models and mentors over the years. Wise and patient mentors made my first managerial role easier. They challenged me to grow, offered constructive feedback (both positive and negative) about my performance, modeled behaviors that I could emulate, and fueled my passion for learning. While I still made mistakes I also learned how to handle these setbacks and apply the lessons learned to future situations.

Mentoring is less about possessing infinite wisdom or thoughtful advice and more about authenticity and integrity. The most powerful role models aren’t known for their lofty rhetoric but by their consistent behavior and values. It’s easy to say the “right things” but much harder to “live the right way”. Imagine Gandhi or Mother Theresa seeking front-page headlines for their advice about leadership. These role models left a legacy of “lived behaviors” that carry far more weight and influence than a book full of pithy sayings or sound bytes.

Your employees and colleagues are hungry for role models and mentors they can look up to and emulate. In fact, many of them simply want more of your time. Leaders don’t need to implement formal coaching and mentoring programs, although these can be effective when properly planned and executed. Instead, you would do well to get out of your office more and spend time in the warehouse, on the production floor, and in the employee lunchroom. Your caring and empathetic ear is needed more than ever, especially in these uncertain economic times. Intimacy is a basic human need and mentoring provides an opportunity to nurture relationships that will benefit both parties.

I find deep joy in offering mentoring relationships to clients, colleagues, and friends. Whether the relationship is a formal coaching engagement or an informal conversation over lunch, the results are gratifying. My spirit is nurtured and I learn more about them and also about myself. Holding each other accountable spurs real personal and professional growth.

As we approach another holiday season our culture will once again inundate us with messages of gift giving and goodwill. I would offer a simple suggestion that will last a lifetime. Give the gift of mentoring or coaching to someone this year and feel the joy that comes from sharing your knowledge, wisdom, and experience. You won’t even need to add a ribbon or bow.