Why become a mentor?
When I interned during my college years, I had a wonderful mentor, who I am incredibly thankful for to this day. I had never met her before I timidly walked through the giant glass doors to begin my first day, but she treated me like she’d known me for years.
She was kind, patient and reassuring. She took the time to teach me, entrusted me with meaningful work and let me present it on her behalf to management. She brought out the absolute best in me. Because she believed in me, I learned to believe in myself and push the boundaries of my comfort zone. And for that, I couldn’t ever repay her.
In fact, I wondered why she selflessly invested so much time in helping me learn and grow until I became a mentor myself.
“Getting the most out of life isn’t about how much you keep for yourself, but how much you pour into others.” – David Stoddard
Helping someone realize their potential and illuminating the path to reach that potential enables you to make a positive impact on the world that could never be possible as a single person. It is truly how you can make the most of your life.
Inspired by my own mentor, here is what I strive to do with all my mentees:
Discover their needs (knowledge sharing, skill enhancement, goal-setting, navigating challenges, etc.) and determine how best to meet them.
Help them discover their passion(s) – their innate talent, gifts and abilities. What they truly love to do and do well without it being a big effort or stress.
Help them find their purpose- their unique contribution to the world. Why they do what they do.
Help them connect their passion(s) with their purpose- if their passion is public speaking and their purpose is teaching people new skills, I might guide them to explore corporate training, motivational speaking or academia for instance.
Mentorship isn’t always easy, but in the end, it is incredibly rewarding, especially when you get a phone call or email years later from a former mentee thanking you for your support and filling you in on all the amazing things they have accomplished in life. Experiencing that kind of out-of-the-blue joy is always a clear reminder of why I became a mentor.