The qualities you should look for in a mentor
To find theperfect mentor, you must first determine the qualities you value in a successful person. Figure out the things in life that are most important to you and how you rank them. For example, does career or family come first for you? These things are important because you want to seek out someone who has similar values and can help you achieve your own success. Is your idea of being successful ending up with millions of dollars and no friends, or is your idea of success having a family, friends, and millions of dollars?
When searching for a mentor, it is important to not only focus on how successful someone is at work. You also want to know the path he (or she) took to reach the top. Did he become successful by practically selling his soul to the devil and crushing people along the way? Did he become successful by helping others along the way? These are important things to know because it will be helpful to you to know your limits. What are you willing to do or not to do, to achieve the same success? Do you share the same ethics?
Finding the perfect mentor should entail finding someone willing to teach and who is approachable. If your mentor is annoyed about teaching you and is constantly shooing you away like an annoying fly, then you may find it difficult to learn from that person. Also, find someone comfortable with his success and who won't be threatened by someone becoming as successful, or surpassing his success.
What ethical qualities do you value in a leader? Is it important to you to be ethical in business as well as your personal life? How well does your mentor balance their personal and professional responsibilities? Is he a well-rounded leader? Does he embody the whole person concept? How does he lead? Does he lead with a hammer or does he lead by example? Does he inspire others to follow him because he conveys his vision with confidence, or does he demand respect just because of his position? When choosing a mentor, choose someone who possess a leadership style you want to emulate.
When searching for a mentor, find someone who is willing to listen to you and give constructive feedback and be honest. Find someone who is supportive and creates time in his schedule to share his knowledge and expertise with you. When choosing a mentor, choose someone with whom you feel proud to be associated. Choose a person who has the qualities you want to emulate.
Most importantly, seek out someone who you can develop a relationship based on respect. It is important that your mentor respects the contributions you can make to your industry. If he does not have faith in you or your abilities, then he is not the right mentor for you because he may not give you the guidance you need because of his lack of faith in you.
Also, respect is important because your mentor is one of the most important relationships you will have in your professional life. Your mentor is the person with whom you will spend a lot of time and, if it is an effective collaboration, your mentor could possibly become a life long friend.
