Business Opportunities Weblog

April 16, 2007 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

The Bulletin:

One of the biggest influences on my business career has been my mentors, and I have had a handful of them. I can say without question that I wouldn’t have achieved a quarter of what I have accomplished without their guidance and support.

All of them taught me something different. The one thing they all had in common was that they liked sharing their knowledge and experiences. Nothing is more gratifying to a teacher than a willing pupil, and I was probably more eager than most.

I was hardworking but academically average, so I had self-confidence, but not so large an ego that I wasn’t receptive to advice and suggestions. There are plenty of quality mentors available, and people are usually honored that someone would respect them enough to ask.

Mentors are people who:

• Share their experiences
• Listen to problems without solving them, but help their protégés think through problems so they can solve them on their own
• Ask the tough questions
• Point out mistakes
• Rebuke their charges when they are out of line
• Provide guidance on how to methodically nurture a career
• Make introductions to people who bring different skill sets that will improve the protégé
• Rebuild broken psyches

There is no age requirement, but I typically always sought out mentors that were 20 or more years older than me. I wanted coaching from people who had enjoyed tremendous success and great failure. People who only experienced success lack humility. They believe that they are infallible.

Photo by striatic.

In Ideas | 3 Comments
Tags: Startup, Strategy