Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine November 2017 | Page 19
The Business of Leadership
The Power of
Having a Mentor!
By: Bonnie Benkula, BSHCA, MBA Certified Coach,
Speaker, Trainer The John Maxwell TEAM
The Leaven Exchange
[email protected]
According to John Maxwell, “A self made leader doesn’t
make much.” It takes a lot of people investing in one to
help them to become successful.
You may wonder, “Who helped you Bonnie?”
Because of these mentors in my life I had the skills to look
for mentors in my professional life and I sought out
mentors beyond my family. I found mentors who could fill
the gaps for me and hold me accountable to maintain my
self-awareness to continue to work hard to improve myself
and then to improve others. Those mentors got to know
me well and I worked hard to make sure they knew that
they had made a difference in my life.
Mentors.
A mentor is someone who lifts others up to be the best
person they can possible be. They teach, guide and
open doors for you with a heart full of generosity.
May I suggest.
Be intentional about finding your own mentors, as you
move forward; reflect on all the people who have helped
you get where you are today. Take time out to show
gratitude. Then move forward & seek mentors that are
already successful in the area you are trying to grow.
No one gets to the top alone. My first mentor in business
was my brother, Jimmy. He believed in me when I had
no history of success. He was ten years older than me
and when I was 23, fresh out of college, with a wild idea
for a business, he was first in line to invest in me. While I
was single and foot loose and fancy free, Jimmy was
married and had two kids and had everything to lose.
He taught me to be fearless and he taught me to never
give up! Jimmy taught me to give of myself and to
prepare for the unexpected. From my big brother, I
learned about unconditional love, I learned the value in
giving back to my community and I learned that
sometimes you have to believe in others before they
believe in themselves.
From my mother Ruth, I learned the value of letting
someone else get the glory. My mother was fun loving
and a great optimist but most of all she was the
foundation of connection in our family. Everyone wanted
to be around my mother Ruth. Why? She lifted people
up! She ide ntified their talents, she saw the good in
them and she pushed others to the front. She brought
out the best possible in others and then gave them all
the credit for getting there.
Effective mentors pour life into others, share skills, open
doors and work hard to make their life count. These
leaders add value and get a true sense of joy from
mentoring.
Many leaders living a life of significance are mentoring
others.
That’s what great leaders do!
MOMENTUM / November 2017
18