Mentors – From Zero to Heroes….

In preparing for my Christian Coaching Training I received information regarding the follow up work that would be taking place after the initial training next week. In this information we are instructed to review a list of potential coaches that we could ask to be assigned as our mentor coach for the next few months of our training. Bios were provided and we are being asked to review them and decide next week who we might want to choose.

This exercise got me thinking about mentors. I have been blessed and honored to have some pretty cool mentors. I have also, somehow, gotten a hold of some pretty bad ones too. If you didn’t think it was possible to have a bad mentor believe me, you can. It has been a while since I have had a real mentor. Perhaps because of these previous bad experiences I never really pursued it and then when I did pursue “looking” for a mentor the people I picked turned out to be duds.

But now it seems mentors are coming out of the woodwork for me. I have a mentor for the church consulting work I am pursuing, I have a mentor for my school work, and now I will have a mentor for my coaching practice. I went from zero to three in less than three months!

At first I wasn’t too sure about the idea of adding more people into my life that would ask me questions and hold me accountable to do what I say I am going to do. I mean really, sometimes you think that those “people” just get in the way. They are always the ones that want to slow you down with the facts and reality of a situation when you would rather sail on down the road of life not being accountable and not worrying about facts and reality at all. Sure facts are important but do you really need to be reminded of them all the time?

The truth is that we do. All of us need to have these “people” (AKA mentors) in our lives. They prove to be a valuable resource for us when we need them the most and sometimes when we think we need them the least.

Mentors provide knowledge, wisdom, and the sharing of life experience that friends, family, co-workers and peers simply cannot. Mentors can come and go throughout your lifetime but the lessons that they teach remain with you forever.

One other key aspect of having a mentor is being a mentor. We all know that at some point in our lives we must give back. What better way than to share the knowledge, wisdom and lifetime of experience that you have gained than to be a mentor?

In closing I would like to add this. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes mentors, can be your heroes too. I would caution you though people make mistakes and even your mentors/heroes are not going to get it right all the time. So, unless you have a real dud for a mentor, cut them some slack to if they get it wrong and do not put too much pressure on them to be something that they are not.

I think I am pretty lucky right now…my mentors are fast becoming my heroes and I am pretty excited about that. Even as I squirm in the face of becoming more accountable I am fortunate to have these people in my life. I hope that someday soon I can return the favor.

Who are your mentors and heroes?
Are you becoming a mentor to someone else?
Should you be?