The Heart of a Mentor b y Art Arre ola A good mentor provides us with a
My very first mentor was just a kind
clear and distinct advantage. They offer
and caring man who happened to drive
experience, insight, encouragement,
the street sweeper and garbage truck
and inspiration personally designed
for the city where I grew up. We would
to help us grow. Mentors can be
hear the roar of the engine coming
specifically trained or gifted in a given
down the street as we played in the
area, like a coach or teacher. They can
yard on a hot summer day. Some days
be experts on a subject and sought out
he would pull up by the curb and slowly
for their knowledge and ability to train,
make his way down from the sweeper
prepare, and inspire us. They can help
with a toy he found discarded and fixed
develop our business and sales skills
in his spare time. My brother and I got
so we can be more productive in our
our first bicycles from this thoughtful
careers. Used as guide or life coach,
and caring man. Like him, the heart of
they can teach us to prioritize and
the common mentor desires to invest in
think better for personal development.
his or her neighbor something of great
Whether it is a golf swing or to simply
value. Mentors are builders within their
ace that test, nail the interview, or to
communities who invest in others. Each
help us develop a personal growth
mentee is like a building block that is
strategy, mentors are there for us. They
shaped and molded with the mentor’s
see things we can’t see and offer us
guidance.
unique perspectives that can then be applied to the challenges we face each day. As you can imagine, mentors come in a variety of forms, therefore, they can help us in a variety of ways. They partner with us and develop our hidden potential into outward results. Where possible, they can work one-onone with the mentee or be accessed through social media, books, blogs, podcasts, seminars, etc.
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