Behind every successful person, there was another person in which that individual looked up to for inspiration and motivation. Some people look up to celebrities, politicians, and other successful figures in the media while others admire the work of local community leaders or someone within arm’s reach who offer motivational words of advice and resources to prepare them on the road to success. In this case, someone is there front and center to personally be there for the determined individual and add more inspiration to their life.
This action shows that someone cares enough about their growth and development to give them pointers here and there and keep them striving to achieve their dreams. Whether it was a coach who seen the potential in a particular athlete and offered more advice on training and scholarship opportunities or a teacher who urged their students to always do their best and actually showed them how they could, mentoring has played a very beneficial role in the life of determined and goal-oriented people. Three characteristics of a great mentor include commitment, empathy, and a positive attitude. With these attributes combined, a person has the power to bring the best out of any individual that comes their way.
Commitment is a great trait to have when mentoring someone. It shows that the mentor cares about the mentoree’s goals and dreams for success just as much as they do. This creates an air of mutual respect and trust between the two individuals and strengthens their bond. A strong bond between the mentor and person they are mentoring enables open communication and a clear view of what needs to be done in order to achieve success. When a person knows that it is someone out there that has their best interest at heart, it makes them want to work harder just to show the mentor their appreciation.
In most cases, the individual being mentored does not want to let their mentor down so they stay on track and produce positive results. Also, a person doesn’t exactly have to be a known mentor to spark this kind of admiration. The term mentor usually means a more-experienced person who acts as a guide or model for a less-experienced person. Mentors can often be found on the job but they can also be relatives, older friends, teachers, and others we encounter in life. Mentoring can take place in an informal way where the person doesn’t even realize they’re being mentored or in a formal way where both parties agree to be form a mentor/mentoree relationship.
Empathy is an important factor of a mentor because it helps the person mentoring relate to the person being mentored. It helps them both to stay on the same page and stay on track with each other. By being empathetic, the mentor can put themselves in the person being mentored shoes and understand what they are trying to do with their lives and their game plan for success. The mentor can also understand when the mentoree gets sidetracked or frustrated and wants to give up because the mentor can recall those same feeling they might of encountered at one point in time. This is why empathy is an important strength to have as a mentor.
The mentor can show the uninspired one that rough patches in life only last for a little while and the key is to keep going on. Simply put, empathy brings forth motivation for the person being mentored and helps the mentor see eye-to-eye with them at all times. When both parties are on the same level, it creates a harmony within the union which produces nothing but positivity and success.
Having a positive attitude and healthy outlook on life are one of the most important qualities of being a good mentor and leader. As a mentor, the ability to influence someone is very strong so one has to be careful not to put forth any negative energy or hesitations they might have when mentoring. This does not mean that the mentor has to be happy and cheerful at all times but it does mean that the mentor should be able to find the good qualities in most situations. A positive thought will conquer a negative one always.
A positive attitude helps the mentor to be a good role model to the mentoree, sharing their knowledge and experience in order to guide them in the right direction. A person setting out to be a great mentor is more than willing to take on the responsibility of aspiring individuals who are striving for success. This is what drives a good mentor, the outcome of success as a result of simply spreading positive energy, guidance, encouragement, and support. The main focus of the mentor is to give the mentoree the opportunity to realize that are fully capable of achieving their dreams and the life they have always envisioned for themselves and in some cases, a life they never knew they could have.
In conclusion, good communication, being empathetic, and having a positive attitude makes for a great mentor and helps a person achieve success and personal growth. It doesn’t take an award- winning movie star or popular athlete to inspire someone to strive for the better. All it takes is for someone to put forth the proper time and energy to show others that success is possible; and even with just one of these traits, someone has the power to inspire and motivate another.
