Authority of Learning & Mentorship

 

The Authority of Learning & Mentorship

Authority of Learning & Mentorship

Mentorship is arguably one of the most important aspect of leadership. Many leadership thoughts, theories & plethora of research even indicates that the greatest act of leadership is mentoring. While it cannot be ignored that you get a lot of opportunities to mentor, coach or help others become better in a position of authority. However, it is also true that you don’t require any position or title to raise or help someone to reach a higher level in some areas of their life.

It’s critically important not only to mentor others but to be open for help when needed and heed it, in yourself. Sir Isaac Newton, is knows for having a poor start at his early age. Despite that, he was a man who assiduously learned from the work of his best predecessors and eventually, many of his work attracted enormous attraction. Once Newton said of his work, “If I have seen a little farther than other men. It is because I stood on the shoulders of giants”. ^[1]

If you could just persevere & keep learning all your life, you would probably end up being one of the very few competent people in the world. And history has proven it time and again. The key is to become a continuous learning machine! The advantage that you get by learning from the work done by the best people before you is just very broad. A wise man learns from the follies of others but a fool wants to experience them all by himself.

Developing the whole student often requires identifying unique needs and helping the mentee recognize when they need mentoring, coaching or advising. While mentoring, coaching or advising are all developmental interactions, their scope, purpose & utility in leadership development are distinct.

The purpose of taking leadership advice is to develop your ability to acquire knowledge, skills and self confidence to become a better leader. Hallmarks of mentoring practice include a dyadic environment, long term dedication by mentor & mentee, regular interactions and both formal & informal investments in personal growth, career development, psychological development as well as leadership empowerment.

Taking leadership advice is a process and not an event or end, thus, mentoring is not designed for short term skill development. However, mentoring relationships could evolve from short term leadership skill programs or organizational experiences. Because mentoring involves investment in personal investment. Additionally mentoring cannot always be confined to scheduled meetings, but requires a willingness to take advice and execute it in the personal & professional life.

•      Accept your need for advice: The very first step and important step in getting mentoring or leadership advice is to accept that you are really in need of advice. Don’t look for what people say, think of feel that you need advice. Ask yourself whether you really need leadership advice or not.

 

Authority of Learning & Mentorship

•           Be responsible for your own learning: Do not set unrealistic expectation from your mentor. Be clear in approach and remember that you are responsible for your own learning. A mentor is just someone who acts as a catalyst to help you identify your potential. You are the only person who have to make sure how much you learn and act on the information provided by the mentor. You can get as much knowledge and understanding from the mentor but as long as you do not apply it in your personal, corporate and professional life, it is worthless. It is you who have to apply the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of the mentor. A mentor can only give you some advice but you are the one who needs to act on that advice. A mentor acts in the best interest of the mentee and a mentee needs to have this realization that whatever the mentor teaches him or her, it is for their benefit and must be seen soberly and conscientiously by them.

 

 

•        Accept your need for advice: The very first step and important step in getting mentoring or leadership advice is to accept that you are really in need of advice. Don’t look for what people say, think of feel that you need advice. Ask yourself whether you really need leadership advice or not.

References:

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[1]	MARIA POPOVA. (2020, December ) brainpickings. [Online]. https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/16/newton-standing-on-the-shoulders-of-giants/

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