Every Professional should be a mentor

The other day, I sent out a poll across 3 social messaging platforms including LinkedIn to see how many industry professionals have ever thought about “Paying It Forward” through mentorship.

The statistics were quite impressive as a higher number of people voted YES. Curious to know the reason(s) why some people voted NO/ MAYBE, I discovered that these professionals thought of mentoring as a very difficult task.

Well, truth be told, It sure takes a lot to manage an individual, but let’s take a closer look at the words “MENTOR” from a much simpler perspective.

The word “mentor” was first coined to mean a wise teacher in Homer’s The Odyssey.

Dating back around 3000 years, Odysseus entrusts his young son Telemachus to the care of Mentor, his trusted companion when he goes to fight in the Trojan War. During that period, Mentor nurtures, guides, and supports Odyssey’s son. So the word “mentor was adopted in Latin and other languages, including English, as a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less-experienced colleague.

In my own simple definition, A mentor is someone who guides you through their own experience.

If all you do is share your life’s experiences and use them in a way to challenge and motivate others — — YOU ARE A MENTOR.

If you are passionate about empowering a person to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained — — — YOU ARE A MENTOR.

If you are someone whose actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more — — YOU ARE A MENTOR.

If you experience great satisfaction in helping someone take advantage of an opportunity that maybe he or she did not have — — YOU ARE A MENTOR

If you are passionate about lifting up others as you climb — — YOU ARE A MENTOR

If you are someone who believes in others, leading them to their next plateau — — YOU ARE A MENTOR

Being a MENTOR doesn’t mean that you know it all.

In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn. ” — Phil Collins

Now, how do you see yourself?

As a MENTOR I hope.