Opinion: Be Careful Who You Call a Mentor

One of the most abused words in the public space as far as this writer is concerned is mentorship and note that there is nothing absolutely wrong with seeking to have a mentor. In itself, mentorship is essential as it provides guidance and direction for individuals who otherwise would have gone in a wrong direction wasting their lives and energy in a wrong venture.

Mentorship cuts off years ignorance and mentees sometimes gets to ride on the shoulders of their mentors to reach some heights of accomplishment.

However in this era of online branding, a lot of people, who haven’t acquired nor attained the height of success with a verifiable track record of tenacity, integrity, rigor of credible hardwork, competence and skill would brand themselves as mentors with some even demanding for financial remunerations for their mentoring programs without adequate experience(s) to lead others.

While I wholeheartedly support that people have a mentor, I would also advice that those seeking to be mentored should look out for certain traits in the lives of their-would-mentors and be sure that it follows the same line of belief with theirs.

A mentor’s success or accomplishment must be describable by him/her because every level attained would leave a trail of what the person has done, the mistakes that have been made and the hurdles surmounted.

Most important, a mentor’s life must be worthy of emulation and what she does must be congruent with who she says she is or whom she is observed to be because a lot of homes, businesses and lives have been destroyed because of wrong guidance from trusted mentors.

I watched a legal television series in which a man who cheated on his wife with her best friend and had a secret child by her until his wife caught him told the judge presiding over his case that he wants to be a mentor to young men, telling them about his experiences because according to him, his wife’s was hard to deal with but he managed her for so many years.

The judge asked him, “what will you be teaching those youngsters?”

He replied, “All l have endured in my three-year marriage.”

And the judge told him, “I’ll advise you to go work on yourself and learn integrity. Acquire lessons in disciplined commitment and learn how to be faithful to your words when you make a promise to another and maybe after then, you can become a mentor to the growing generation.”

Mentorship is a huge responsibility and those saddled with the tasks of influencing other people’s lives must do so from a place of valued experience, integrity, humility and depth as mentorship can either make or mar a person.

Photo Credit: depositphotos

Oluwabusayo Madariola

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