The “lucky” few have true mentors who help them discover their unique leadership DNA.
“Many executives are driven, but few are given the right guidance and incentives. The whole idea of mentorship is to accelerate your development: to be the best you can be, get there sooner, to have a greater impact,” shares Tsun-Yan Hsieh.
Self-development to become the best you can be is life-long process. It requires high commitment and often involves painful learning experiences. The process is not easy, but having a true mentor can make a pivotal difference. The best leaders all had someone see their potential, and went above and beyond to mentor them. Oprah Winfrey’s mentor was Maya Angelou, Mark Zuckerburg’s mentor was Steve Jobs, Bill Gates’ mentor was Warren Buffet, and Tsun-Yan Hsieh’s mentor was Jon Katzenbach.
True mentorship goes far beyond matching and occasional conversations. Here are five essential markers for a good mentor who helps you become the best you can be:
1. A mentor accelerates your growth and helps you hone higher-order skills
A mentor tends to have more insight, wisdom and understanding in a particular area due to accumulated experience. A mentor passes on their knowledge, skills and qualities to their mentee to also achieve leadership quickly in that particular field. Lack of mentorship in this case results in losing time and possibly starting off on the wrong foot.
2. A mentor develops your strengths and points out your blind spots
A diamond does not attain its full brilliance and value until it has been cut and polished by the one who had picked it up. Similarly, a mentor helps their mentee figure out their unique qualities and uncover their hidden talents. Lack of mentorship in this case results in self limitations being unchallenged and not overcome.
3. A mentor is there to get you going again during major setbacks
There are many moments in life where people face a major setback, professionally and personally. In these critical moments, a mentor gives guidance and encouragement for their mentee to see the opportunity in the darkest hour and learn the right lessons. Lack of mentorship in this case results in self-denial or disorientation in a dark place.
4. A mentor gives you opportunities you otherwise could not access
Repotting to a different market/industry/function or getting promoted requires someone to believe in you. A mentor can open doors to new worlds, widen the mentee’s horizons and support their stretch. This will help their mentee find the confidence to take the leap too. Lack of mentorship in this case results in knocking one’s head against a wall with no keys to the door.
5. A mentor is vested in your holistic long-term success
Mentoring goes beyond advising, which is telling someone what to do. Mentoring also goes beyond coaching, which is giving you the techniques to achieve the objective. A mentor focuses on their mentee’s growth in order to see them reach their highest potential. Lack of mentorship in this case results in under-challenge and under-support throughout one’s life.
How does one get a true mentor? How does one become a true mentor? These will be covered in future articles. Meanwhile, hear directly from Tsun-Yan Hsieh’s unique perspective on mentoring below.
LinHart has a deep heritage of CEO counselling, board advisory and executive mentorship. We have specially designed a high level and high impact leadership influence accelerant program for early executives, LIFE2. Get in touch with our Principal, Huijin Kong (huijin@linhartgrp.com) to find out how LIFE2 program can be a good fit for you.
Published in March 2019