When the student is ready the teacher will appear. -Zen Proverb
I like great lives. Every great man was mentored at point. Albert Einstein had Max Talmey, Da Vinci had Andrea del Vercocchio, Isaac Newton had Isaac Barrow; even in spiritual things, Elisha had Elijah.
Do you have someone you can imitate and emulate his virtue, the finest part of him?
What mentoring does is, the mentor passes the condensed knowledge, the curated experiences, his mastery of a subject and confidence to his mentee. Mentoring cuts your years of floundering by half; the other half should be spent honing one’s skill. Mentoring affords one the opportunity to ask question(s) and receive quick judgment. Mentorship is not monitorship.
Don’t forget to pay attention; everything becomes your teacher when you pay attention. But you have to be willing, disciplined and patient.
*On Africa, one of Africa’s problems is leadership. Many so-called “leaders” in African aren’t interested in the survival and making of the upcoming generation. Leadership is the finer and successful replication of oneself both in skill and grace, worthiness and impression. The joy of life is that you pass your knowledge to someone, yes, to the next generation. The essence of life is that we serve as a bridge of knowledge for the generation to come.
From the Movie LUCY (2014), Let professor Norman [played by Morgan Freeman] be the mouthpiece,” You know…if you think about the very nature of life. I mean, from the very beginning. The development of the first cell divided into two cells. This whole purpose of life has been to pass on what was learned. There is no higher purpose. So, if you’re asking me what to do with all this knowledge you’re accumulating, I’d say, pass it on. Just like any simple cell going through time”.
*Tips: Tips to help you maximize mentorship
- Know your field/Area needing improvement
- Be submissive and patient; you are not in competition with your mentor
- Check the mentor’s spirit. Ensure he’s not a slave driver
- Have a time frame
- Listen and ask question
- Don’t become a ‘bug’ on your mentor; don’t demand irrelevant things from him.
- Self-study/Practice
- Appreciate your mentor
- Teach others too
- Assess your growth