The Power Of A Mentor

I'm currently in season 3 of Star Wars: Rebels. I love the bond between Ezra Bridger and his mentor, Kanan Jarrus. It's reminiscent of the Anakin Skywalker & Obi Wan Kenobi relationship. Ezra's youth and impatience is relatable as he's trying so hard to be a fully fledged Jedi knight when we all know he has so much more to learn. After last night's episode, I had a thought that this week's post should be about the importance of having a mentor.

Sometimes when we're in a tough work spot, we need someone to help us sort through the muck. That's when having a mentor or a coach or a therapist (that's a whole other blog post!) is ideal. I'm not suggesting dumping all your work crap on your mentor but having someone who you can speak with to help you navigate difficult political waters or a challenging engineering problem, that's when having a mentor is so important.

I believe a mentor is someone who has had similar experiences in life, sport or in the workplace but that person is able to articulate their learnings in a way that resonates; it makes sense to their mentee. And, I'm not just talking about the old / young, mentor / mentee dynamic. Tennis super star, Rafael Nadal has won more grand slam titles than his mentor, Carlos Moya. My point, it's not about age but wisdom. Carlos probably speaks to Rafa in a way that makes sense to Rafa. He coaches him from his own experience as a top tier tennis pro. They probably talk about lessons learned, they share knowledge, they share a passion for the sport.

My mentor, Patty is a partially retired leadership & organizational development coach. She's an educator who's worked in the prison system, corporate America and the person I constantly go-to when I have a moral dilemma, a work dilemma or I just need some practical advice. Patty doesn't judge me; she listens, offers expert & sound advice based on her experiences. She encourages me to constantly think outside the box which sometimes is hard because I want to remain in my comfort area where it's safe & secure. But, some of the best conversations have been our hardest conversations.

That said, I can't stress enough the importance of finding a mentor, regardless of age or years in the workforce. Seek out someone who shares in your value system or maybe has similar work styles (or even a different work style). Be real. Open up to that person and allow them to share their experiences so you too can grow & learn to become a better Jedi knight!

Happy job hunting!