Mentoring… A Team Sport

There are guys who want to grow and guys who don’t seem to care.  There are learners, whom I call “heat seekers,” and then there are those who think “Hey, I’m just the way I am…take it or leave it.” (P.S. if you’re the “take me or leave me” kind of guy, don’t be surprised one day when she does!)

I love hanging out with heat seekers. If you’re one of them…if you’re someone who wants to grow, understand that you will have multiple mentors on your team and that your mentors will change over time.

At work, it’s smart to look for a successful leader who has already traveled your path and knows how to help you navigate. In your finances, you’re smart to hook up with a financial advisor who’ll coach you as you make financial decisions about savings, investments, and long term planning. If you’re an entrepreneur, find an established, successful entrepreneur to mentor you….someone who’s been where you are and who’s made it to where you want to go.

Rarely will a single mentor be able to help you in all these different domains.

One of the reasons I’m so amp’d about groups is how it can so quickly expand your team of mentors. In fact, the most important members of your team may be the guys in your group. A group raises the bar on “accountability.” You’ll become accountable to the other guys, just through life; by being truly connected to each other for a season. It’s better than checking off a “to-do” or a “to-don’t” list. You’ll get called out when you’re “off” and encouraged when you get it right.

Your growth is YOUR responsibility. Seek mentors. Initiate. Plug into a group. If you don’t know of one, create one. Find a mature man that you admire, send him to this website for direction, and help him put together a group with you and your friends who are like you. If you wanted to play basketball in a 3 on 3 league, you’d reach out and find a couple of friends to play on your team. What’s the difference? Isn’t your long-term growth  worth taking a little risk?

Question : Are you taking your need for mentors seriously? Who could you recruit to be a mentor to you and a group of your like-minded friends? If you’ve done this, share your story. Please.