Updated 14-Sep-2023
There are some useful nuggets of information hidden within this latest talk by Kate Mitchell on Own your Own Success. The discussion on mentors and mentorship is one of them.
Mentors as a Composite
Mentors need not be a single person or a set of people but are more likely a composite of many people, in the sense that different people can model aspects of mentorship at different times and in different ways (and for different contexts).
By Another Name
Mentors don't necessarily come with that label, or are used in that way. However, a key feature is the desire for one's success, the nature of a mentor as a champion for the individual, someone who cares about their success. Someone who's got your back.
The Goal is One, Two or Three
Be number 1, 2, or 3 in your sector. Can the mentor support this goal? Will they help you to get there?
Entire Talk on YouTube
(skip ahead to minute 21)
Other Insights on Mentorship
Not included in this talk are some ideas which have resonated with me in the past, including the idea that mentors (and teachers) do not have to be alive to be effective. Learn from giants in the past, they can provide excellent advice and support. This requires good, close reading and rereading of the works of mentors from the past. Some great mentors (a small sample):
- Sun Tzu
- Peter Drucker
- Eliyahu Goldratt