NUR 674 Mentoring As An Important Aspect Of Leadership

NUR 674 Mentoring As An Important Aspect Of Leadership

DQ1
As a leader, mentorship is essential.
Identify a mentor you have or have had in the past and describe them.
What leadership style did they employ?
Specifically, what qualities did they exhibit that made you want to work with them?

DQ2

As servant leaders, we must ensure that our words and actions are matched internally (credibility).
A trustworthy individual will carry out their promises.
At work, describe a time when you were able to show your morality with ease.
Explain a time when you were afraid to show your integrity in the workplace.
What made it possible for you to set an example rather than follow your own instincts?
If you’ve never been able to show your integrity in the workplace, what would it take for you to feel comfortable doing so?

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A mentor is a person who provides you with the necessary tools, guidance, support, and feedback to succeed in your career.
A mentor is someone who has walked the same path as you and can offer advice based on their own experiences, says Brad Finkeldei, a career coach at Muse.

It is possible to find a career mentor in many different ways. You can turn to someone you know personally or someone you’ve met at a networking event. You can also turn to someone who is a former or current coworker or a family member.
Someone you look up to as a mentor is not someone you admire from a distance.
Over time, they should be able to play a significant role in your life.

A career mentor can have a significant impact on your success, according to Al Dea of CareerSchooled and a Muse career coach.

As a first step, they’re knowledge and opportunity centers—they can “provid[e] you with insights and context [and] experiences [you] either may not necessarily have at all or you have limited visibility into.”
It can also help you get out of a rut if you’re unable to come up with a solution or decide what to do.

It’s important to have a mentor because they can introduce you to people who can help you in the future.

As a mentor, you’ll gain leadership training, access to new professional contacts, and the satisfaction of being a part of someone else’s success.
The two of you are inseparable.

Exactly What Makes a Great Mentor?

Mentors don’t all have the same qualities.
The most effective mentors have a few common characteristics.
These are the qualities you should look for in anyone you’re considering becoming a mentor.
Also, if you want to be a better mentor, take note of these characteristics.

a specific area of expertise or knowledge that is applicable

Even though it may seem obvious, it is important that your mentor has a relevant background.
Possibly they’re a few levels or titles above you (say, an account executive while you’re a VP of sales) or have worked in the industry for some time that you’re interested in.
You should be able to rely on their advice because they’ve been there before and know what it takes to succeed in your endeavors.

A commonality can also be helpful because that’s usually what brings a relationship together, says Dea.

Make sure this person isn’t more than five or ten years out of your league.
While someone with 20 or 30 years of experience has a lot to offer, they may not be able to relate to your current situation in a meaningful way and thus cannot offer helpful advice.
What was common practice in your mentor’s heyday may no longer be relevant in today’s workplace due to the constant evolution of the modern workplace.

2. The Willingness to Disclose One’s Expertise

Your mentor’s willingness to share his or her knowledge is just as important as the knowledge your mentor possesses.
As a rule, they should not be someone who gives away knowledge and expects a token of gratitude in return, nor should they reveal information in a vague, manipulative manner.
Instead, they should be eager to spread the word and eager to do so.

Most mentors don’t give advice because they enjoy the attention, but because they truly want to pass on the knowledge they’ve acquired over the course of their careers.

3. A Sense of Humility

Someone who is unkind and unconstructive in their criticisms of you, treats you or those close to you unfairly, and ultimately tarnishes your reputation is not someone you want around.
A partnership like that is bound to be unproductive and frustrating from the start.

When a mentor does something less-than-respectful (because, hey, we’re all human), they admit it and sincerely apologize.

4. A Willingness to Help Others

As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.
Dea explains that “no one gets paid to do it in their day job.”
You’ll need a mentor who gets a kick out of being able to help others because there’s no monetary reward.

Because they know they’re playing a long game, great mentors are patient when it comes to guiding others on their journey.
As long as they don’t give up too easily, these people aren’t afraid to put in the work.
In addition, they are concerned about maintaining and expanding their professional relationships.

The ability to provide direct and honest feedback is a crucial skill.

While finding someone who will treat you with respect is essential, it’s also important to find someone who will provide you with some tough love when necessary.
Rather than holding back on being honest because they’re afraid of upsetting you, a good mentor will give you feedback in a way that’s constructive, kind, and direct.

According to Finkeldei, you need “someone who’s willing to call you out on your BS” because it’s rare to find such an unbiased viewpoint at work.
Then again, you know you’ll come out on top when you have someone like that by your side.

Listening with Intent and a Sense of Compassion

When it comes to finding a mentor, “they can have all the answers in their head, but if they don’t willingly listen to where you’re coming from, they will not be able to steer you in the direction that you want to go,” says Finkeldei.

How would you describe the visual?
Instead of simply telling you what to do, your mentor should be asking you questions.
“Actually curious” about what you’re up to and why, says Finkeldei, is another key component of a good first impression.

For Finkeldei, it’s crucial that you find someone who understands what it’s like to be in your shoes.
Mentors often fail because of the tendency to force one’s own views or methods on others, which can be detrimental to one’s own growth.
So, look for someone you can put your faith in to put your interests ahead of their own.

The ability to serve as a sponsor

It is not necessary to have a mentor who is also a sponsor, but having such a mentor by your side can be extremely beneficial.

Both can offer advice and support but only one goes “a step further” by “actively advocating for you…both behind closed doors and publicly.” This is where a sponsor and a mentor come into play, according to Dea.

Essentially, he says, they “get you access to opportunities or titles or roles that you would not be able to get on your own” through their political credibility and relationship capital.