Whats The Best-kept Secret Of Leaders?
Sophocles once said: It can be no dishonor to learn from others when they speak good sense
, and leaders know thats true. The best-kept secret of leaders is that they all have had at least one mentor who has taken them far ahead in their success. It could take decades to become successful in a given field, however a mentor can help you get there much faster.Through his experience, advice, and support, a mentor can help you avoid the most common mistakes when striving for success; he helps you get over the most difficult of problems, and teaches you shortcuts to reach your goals.
You can get a mentor at any time during your career; the thing is that you should get one, because he will prove immensely valuable in helping you build leadership skills like decision making, strategic thinking, planning, coaching, and managing people. Mentors are also great sources of wisdom, they will teach you lessons on persistence, determination, on surrounding yourself with the strongest people you can find, on the truth about the business- the first sale triggers it all, on what fights are worth fighting and are yours to solve, and on the importance of quality in every sense, to name just a few.
You may not know what you have to learn next to get you higher up, but someone who has already been there most certainly does. The choice of the right mentor can decide your future.
And, how do you get a mentor? Identify within your field four successful leaders who have retired within the past two to five years. Write these four persons a short letter expressing your genuine respect for their careers, and mention specific achievements that have inspired you. Following, ask for advice on your career. Invite them to lunch or ask for a quick call, but dont offer them money for their help not yet. Most probably, one of them will accept your invitation and will take the time to talk to you. If you like each other, you have found a mentor.
You should work on a list of the goals you want to work with your mentor. What do you want from him? What is it that you have to learn? What can he teach you? You should monitor your progress so as to get the best out of your time with him.
You and your mentor have a learning relationship. He is your learning coach and you should be able to talk to him freely, because you trust him and his advice, feedback, and support. He will help you focus on your goals and direct you towards success faster.
Your mentor will tell you which skills are most valuable in your field, and will advise you on business opportunities and different ways to succeed; however, he will not tell you how to do your job. He is there to guide you, give you feedback, and share his experience, but you will have the last word as to what to do in a given situation. He will not have all the answers, but he can advise you to the best of his knowledge so that you can find the way.
The relationship with your mentor must be cared for. You have to acknowledge his value and reward him for it. Remember that in the long run, your career will be very much affected, in a positive way, by his support. Thank him regularly for his help and time, tell him what you have learned from him, and finally, offer to pay for his advice. You should pay him what you feel is appropriate and what you can afford, but never less than what he thinks is fair.
You can also get more than one mentor, and it will skyrocket your experience. With multiple mentors, you can compare points of view and ideas from various experts, as well as learn what is definitely one of the greatest secrets of success: that your ideas may not always be the best.
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