I had a mentor who described the ego like a beach ball. His lesson was that we all have egos and if our ‘Beach ball egos’ are in front of us, our vision is obscured, we don’t hear others clearly and our judgement is impaired. If we can move our egos behind us, we see more clearly, and others see us more authentically.
His lesson was not lost on me. At the time, I needed to be reminded about how my ego might be getting in my way. As we move through our leadership journey, we find those people who will leave a permanent mark on our lives. Mentors come in many forms – teachers, coaches, bosses, and parents. We have all had good ones and bad ones. If we have been fortunate enough to have a couple of good mentors, we have grown as humans and as leaders.
Sometimes our mentors need to deliver gentle nudges and sometimes we need a more serious adjustment. The right person at the right time delivering the right message can get us back on the right path.
As I continue to hone my craft, I have enlisted a great coach to support my coaching practice. I have unofficial mentors who I know I can count on when I need them, and I continue to learn from my clients.
They say successful people ask for help and I would add, successful people have at least one mentor. Who is yours?