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The word mentor comes to us from Homer’s Odyssey. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he entrusted his household—and particularly the guidance of his son Telemachus—to his trusted friend Mentor.
The name eventually became the word we use for a trusted adviser who helps guide another.
Your leadership development remains yours. But that doesn't mean you should pursue it alone.
In the Sustained Leadership WBS development system, I recommend three mentors.
Three people. Different perspectives. Different experiences. Different roles.
One might have traveled the path you seek—someone in your profession, field, or a role to which you aspire.
Another should understand you—your circumstances, responsibilities, aspirations, strengths, and limitations. Advice that ignores reality isn't particularly useful.
And the third?
Find someone who will tell you what you may not want to hear.
This is the mentor who can say, “You told me this mattered. What happened?” Someone who can challenge your excuses, question your assumptions, and, when necessary, kick you in the butt and get you moving again.
We all need that sometimes.
None of these people owns your development.
They can advise, question, challenge, encourage, and hold up the mirror. But the ultimate decision—to act, not act, accept the advice, or reject it—remains yours.
Choose people you trust. Choose people whose judgment you respect. Most importantly, choose people whom you are actually willing to allow to influence you.
Leadership development is personal.
It doesn't have to be solitary.
Quiet Dare: Make a list of traits you admire—honesty, judgment, competence, courage, fidelity, or whatever matters to you. Who best demonstrates those traits? Identify three possible mentors. Ask at least one of them this week.
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