I have never met anyone that has had massive success without the help of a mentor. Mentorship is the oldest form of education. It is one-on-one learning from a person that has already travelled the path you desire. Plato was mentored by Socrates. Together they founded the Academy in Athens,the first institution of higher learning in the western world. Along with Socrates and his most famous studen
t, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of western philosophy and science. I’d say that mentoring relationship was pretty successful. So how do you find a mentor? I asked myself that question over 35 years ago when I decided I wanted to become a radio broadcaster. There were virtually no institutions of higher learning that taught broadcasting and I couldn’t have afforded the tuition anyway. I called a man that I knew had massive success in the industry and said “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take you for lunch and pick your brain about getting into broadcasting”. He agreed and when we sat down to lunch he asked me to repeat, word for word, the request I had made when I originally called him. I said, “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take you for lunch and pick your brain about getting into broadcasting”. His response was, “If you want to have huge success, stop asking for permission.” That little nugget alone was worth the price of the lunch. We had a lengthy mentoring relationship that created a 35 year career that I loved. When I decided to expand my horizons after reading a book about multiple streams of income, I called an acquaintance that had the kind of success in business that I wanted to achieve. Having learned from my first mentor, I dialled the number and said “I’d like to take you for lunch on Thursday or Friday this week. What works best for you?” Instant positive response. In anything I have ever achieved, I have been blessed to find truly wonderful mentors. Here’s a short list I give people when they ask me how to find a mentor:
1. Has this person already achieved the success necessary to help you reach your goals?
2. Do your personal values align? It’s important to find out whether there is a common moral, educational and family basis for ongoing conversation. A great mentor not only works on your specific goal with you. They know that your life has to be in alignment on all fronts if you’re going to succeed. It’s much easier to have those discussions if you share common values.
3. Is this someone you would trust with your family, income and future because that’s exactly what you’re doing when you agree to a mentoring relationship. You are putting total trust in someone’s ability to get you where you want to go.
4. Most importantly, ask questions and listen to the answers. Is this a person that you want to spend the next several years working with? I get asked to take the role of mentor regularly. My available time is limited and precious but I help whenever I can to pay homage to the mentors that have influenced my life.
“I’ve had a life that has taken many interesting paths. I’ve learned a lot from mentors who were instrumental in shaping me, and I want to share what I’ve learned.” (Herbie Hancock)
