The importance of Mentors

(excerps from “TheLadders”

A mentor teaches you faster than you can teach yourself. The stories, the wisdom, the guidance that they provide gives you the benefit of understanding the world or a new adventure before you've actually lived through it. And the emotional support and reassurance that somebody who has "been there, done that" can offer to a wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn is comforting as you navigate your way through new experiences.

The young hero (whatever your age) needs to learn from a master, to grow in wisdom and learning while being guided by somebody with greater experience, to have a sounding board and sympathetic ear in times of turmoil.

But what a mentor provides most is wisdom and insight into whether you should go to that big company or the hot little start-up, whether you ought to stay in your area of functional expertise or move towards more general management, whether you'll be better off working for the tough and demanding boss, or you'll thrive in a more collegial atmosphere.

I'd urge you to cultivate your mentors. Whether he/she's an old boss, or a more senior colleague, or somebody in the industry that you admire, developing those relationships can make your career growth much richer and better-informed.

And you can also get something back by giving back, "The brighter the student, the more the teacher learns." There's no better way to learn, or re-learn, something than by teaching it. And by taking that bright young woman or man under your wing, you'll not only be helping out the next generation, but you'll be surprised at how much you've learned over the years!