For a true servant leader, there is no greater joy than seeing other people empowered and successful. Mentoring allows leaders to invest in the next generation by combining their experience with their mentee’s potential. When good mentoring happens, younger emerging leaders are empowered to go far beyond the experienced leader ever hoped to reach.

The Mentoring Relationship: For the Mentor

Mentoring is a relational process in which you, an experienced leader, helps a younger or less prepared leader reach his or her God-given potential. It is a unique opportunity for you to share your resources with another person, facilitating their personal development.

Two Simple Questions

If you read the companion post to this (add link to the other mentoring post), you already know that mentoring can be very simple. The whole relationship revolves around two questions the mentor asks the mentee.

1. What are your priorities (your vision)?

2. How can I help you achieve them?

Right Attitude Required

Mentoring is an investment and as such, it depends on some best practices to flourish and yield the best results. Do you want to influence your mentee’s to their fullest potential? Try the following five best practices for good mentors.

1. Be Humble. Just like the mentee, it is important to admit what you don’t know and recognize your own limitations. Your mentee knows you are not perfect and don’t have all the answers, so don’t pretend like you do.

2. Observe. Great mentors can see the potential in others. Good observation skills can spot where the greatest growth potential is and what the best opportunities are to facilitate that growth.

3. Be Patient. Assume mistakes and imperfections. Mentoring is a growth process. More growth comes through failure than from success. The best mentors allow mentees to fail forward.

4. Ask Questions. You could probably provide most answers to your mentee’s questions. However, instead of providing answers, the best mentors ask the right questions that stimulate thinking and help the mentee find their own answers.

5. Be Flexible. Remember that it is up to your mentee to set the agenda for the mentoring relationship. Help point them in the right direction and then, be flexible and adaptable to serve the needs of your mentee.

Are there younger, emerging leaders in your life? What would their leadership be if they could draw on your experience and accomplish far beyond anything you ever dreamed? You can empower the next generation of leaders by combining your present expertise with their future potential. Go out, and find an emerging leader who is looking for someone to invest in them. Then begin meeting, put these practices to the test, and you will see God do wonders in their life.

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