The Power of Mentoring

Knowledge is power; Teaching others is empowerment. Begin the legacy work of your life today. Teach others what you know. Empower them to achieve their goals You’ll get closer to achieving your own goals - by what you learn in the process. -Victoria Cabot

I once worked as a Board Member on a non-profit board serving women in the outdoor industry. One of our ongoing campaigns was to match mentors to mentees. We had an abundance of young women, seeking guidance. Our mentor list, however, always seemed to fall...short. (Busy, busy, love ya, really mean it...)

I recently had the opportunity to mentor a great number of students through a teaching experience at a local university. It was powerful. Here is how it changed me:

• I forgot how much I didn't know at that age.

• I forgot about the challenges and questions I had.

• I forgot that I could not see the potential in my innate skills and intuition.

• I forgot that I didn't know how to put a value on my work.

• I forgot how excited I was when an experienced person took an interest in me.

• I never knewhow exponentially magnificent young adults could be, with the power of technology hard-wired into their DNA.

• I never knew how an hour outside of class, or a coffee might dramatically change how someone thought about themselves.

Are YOU up for a challenge?

Take five quiet minutes. First, think of a mentor who helped you tremendously, early in your career. Second, write down a list of one to three millennials in your 'sphere of influence.' Pick one. Now, take action. Text them. Endorse them on LinkedIn. Schedule coffee. Invite them to your office. See how they are doing. Ask what their goals are. Ask how you can help. Follow-through. Hold them accountable.

You will get back tenfold what you put out. And, congratulations. Your legacy work has begun.

Guest speaker Alison Rojas Metcalfe, some amazing students and me, at John Paul the Great Catholic University in Southern California.

#EOS, #Entrepreneurial Operating System, #legacywork, #velocity6, #victoriacabot, #mentor, #mentorship