It’s hard to overemphasize the power of mentorship. A mentor is not only a teacher and guide, but a source of wisdom and experience. The guide sets a pace that can be followed. Today’s mentor can easily be accessed worldwide through digital platforms and communication. With the onslaught of distractions and messaging from unproven sources, a trusted mentor relationship is invaluable.
Mentorship is not defined as life-coaching or even coaching. But the mentee will experience many of the same benefits of coaching as a path is pursued and followed. The guide doesn’t just speak about a subject but has “lived” the subject that is placed before the mentee. The wise counsel and support that is provided comes from a depth of experience and well of wisdom.
A Path to Follow
In the book The Summit, our protagonist Mallery knew she wanted to get to the Summit “someday.” When the offer was made, it came for traveling to the summit with a guide. She knew a guide was what she needed to get to her destination. However, the first step she had to take was her decision to start. If she had continued to hold her dreams inside her heart and under her pillow to never start on her journey, she would never reach the heights of her personal climb.
There are many who are at the same crossroads that Mallery faced. They have decided to make a change “someday.” Dreams are held inside with the knowledge of what could be but they are held back by fear, indecision or personal challenges. Some of those challenges include a mindset that is fixed as they’ve given up, faced with their own feelings of inadequacy.
There are also those who feel there is no need for a guide. They have enough experience and feel they can figure out their own way. Additionally, there may be a resistance to listen and learn if there is an aversion to trust and an overarching sense of pride. However, it’s a well-documented fact that most leaders, especially top leaders, experience a higher level of success and satisfaction when there’s a mentor involved. This doesn’t just apply to world leaders or company leaders. It applies to most every individual, small business and entrepreneur. Mentorship brings a higher and quicker level of success along with greater satisfaction.
Who Needs a Mentor?
Most anyone can benefit from having a mentor, even later in life. There are so many life decisions in addition to business decisions that take on different forms at different stages of life. If one is looking for a mentor, it won’t be hard to find one if attentive to the task. However, it is crucial to do some homework to realistically see the best qualities of a prospective mentor.
I have felt like I needed this type of guidance at different points in my life, both personally and professionally. I’ve raised a family, stayed married to one man and have never quit working, even part time, as an independent contractor, educator and business owner. As a result, I have sought out the types of relationships and programs that inspire learning and growing. Through this process, I discovered my style of learning as well as style of leadership and now it helps me to help others more effectively.
Not everyone is pro-active like I am as a mentee and mentor, and I understand that. This is why it’s important for any mentor to have content and materials available to build trust and to introduce people to a mentorship style. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to be authentic, truthful and reliable. Many times these materials take the form of books, articles and even podcasts. I have written and produced many of all of those types of materials as an outflow of my messaging. Consistency as well as common-sense messaging are most important.
The Choice is Yours
As we look again to the book The Summit, when Mallery was on her journey, she had choices to make. She could choose to give up when faced with a chasm that felt too wide to cross or choose to let the negative voices in her head overwhelm her with discouragement and feelings of victimhood. She still felt fear when making the final decision to go on her journey and climb her summit but she took the pro-active step to clip on her carabiner and start climbing.
If she had never gone, she would stay “ill fated” as her name Mallery meant and never obtain the “strong and courageous” name of Andriette after climbing her summit. Many who are listening right now do have skills, experience and resources that are just sitting. The chasm feels wide and the fear is real. It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to make a decision to move ahead. But it does take positive energy and emotional resolve to start on the journey. I have created Hero Mountain Summit as an online mentorship course to not only start a journey but complete it successfully with small steps that are achievable and measurable.
I urge you to not put off the decision to start. I have personally seen those who have told me year after year of their projects that are still sitting. Of their dreams that are still locked inside their head and heart. And of their commitment to make a difference in their world with no action. I am doing what I do to help unlock those projects, dreams and commitments to make them real. So help me do that for you if you are still sitting on the fence. It takes the decision to start, then continue, one small step at a time.
Start Now!
I have created Hero Mountain Summit as an online mentorship course to not only start a journey but complete it successfully with small steps that are achievable and measurable. Start Now by getting your spot in Hero Mountain Summit: a 5 month, 20-week online mentorship course that will move you ahead in life to answer your “What’s Next?”
Additional Articles
The Value of a Mentor and Mentee with Naomi Rhode
The Value of a Good Guide-Priceless!
What to Do When You Hit a Plateau
Additional Books
The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain
Stop Circling: Steps to Escape Endless Roundabouts
Women at Halftime: Principles for Producing Your Successful Second Half
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life—rushing to appointments, events, and work—we often take our health and time for granted. Yet, it's the daily habits we cultivate and maintain that typically contribute to a higher quality of life.
deborah johnson
Thought Leader, Keynote Speaker, Author
If you are interested in growing and learning, check out our online courses here: Online Learning
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