LEADERSHIP
Invisible Mentors Are Underrated
By Senorine Wasike
Sunny Bindra introduced me to the concept of invisible mentors . His 2018 article about the invisible mentors who have shaped his life allowed me to reflect on my view on mentorship . See , a lot of us believe that mentors are people who formally or practically train us . Typical mentors are usually senior experienced , and trusted advisers . Mentors challenge us to think through things and help us see other perspectives .
I struggled to approach someone to mentor me in my early career days . At some point , I was absolutely sure that I never had a mentor because a mentor needed to be physically present , and I had to meet them regularly .
Getting time to sit down with a mentor in an increasingly busy world can be challenging . We may have people we greatly admire but have little or no physical access to them . Having invisible mentors allows you not to worry about scheduling time with them . You just need to identify them , learn by observation and follow their example .
How to Choose Invisible Mentors
The first step is to envision yourself personally and professionally and identify gaps you may want to fill . The next step is looking for someone who has accomplished what you desire . The person should be an inspiration and worth imitating . What you see in
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Getting time to sit down with a mentor in an increasingly busy world can be challenging . We may have people we greatly admire but have little or no physical access to them . Having invisible mentors allows you not to worry about scheduling time with them . You just need to identify them , learn by observation and follow their example . them should be your personal standard . The third step would be to reflect on the leader ’ s behaviour and to get immersed in everything about them . Lastly , look out for interviews , speeches , articles , or books from this leader . Learn as much as you can from them .
How do you tell if you have encountered an invisible mentor ?
When you encounter invisible mentors , they awaken the sleeping genius in you .
The late renowned author Napoleon Hill popularized the ‘ Cabinet of Invisible Counsellors ’ concept . Hill had nine men with whom he regularly held imaginary council meetings over many years . Although he had never met any of them , Hill imagined what they would do in different situations he faced .
This may sound a little weird but think about it … How many times have you resolved issues by speaking them out ? Most mentees have all the answers inside them . Talking it out or rephrasing the issues helps them get the answers they seek .
Bring it all together
Invisible mentors are everywhere and can be alive or dead . They could be your first boss , family member or any other person that shaped or continue to shape your life .
If you have an inspirational figure in your life who is prominent in your successes without ever mentoring you formally , you most probably have an invisible mentor . Do you have any invisible mentors that have shaped you into the person that you are today ?
Sunny Bindra is my invisible writing mentor . I have never met him , but his genius simplicity in writing continues to inspire me .
I hope the above inspires you to think differently about mentorship and to realize that it ’ s a MENTOR-FULL world ( Paul Gentle ).
Senorine Wasike is a Strategy and Innovation scholar with over 10 years ’ corporate experience . She currently heads marketing at Kenya Wine Agencies ( KWAL ). You can commune with her on email at : Senorine . Wasike @ gmail . com .
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