Ep. 13. The Six Mentors Every Growing Leader Needs

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When I was 17, I realized something really important: I wasn't going to become the person I wanted to become by myself. I needed someone ahead of me. I needed a mentor.

Bobby Clinton points out in his incredible book, Connecting, that one mentor isn't enough.

Different mentors provide different resources. But what is mentoring anyway?
I love Clinton's definition:
"Mentoring is a relational experience in which one person empowers another by a transfer of resources."

Your growth often stalls because either
#1. You’re trying to do everything on your own.
#2. you're looking for one person to provide what six different people were designed to give.

Bobby Clinton identifies 6 types of mentoring relationships for you to pursue.

#1. The Discipler
-This mentor builds the foundation by passing on the tools for studying the Bible, learning to pray, and how to share your faith.
#2. The Spiritual Director
-A discipler teaches you the disciplines. A spiritual director helps you discern what God is doing through those disciplines. One teaches the practices. The other helps you interpret the journey.
#3. The Teacher
-This is the person who has knowledge you don't yet possess. One of my favorite phrases is, "I don't know what I don't know."
#4. The Coach
-If the teacher transfers knowledge...the coach develops skill.
They do this through the cycle of Observation -> Evaluation -> Feedback -> Practice -> Repetition. #5. The Counselor
-While a coach helps you improve your performance, a counselor helps you heal the wounds that may be limiting your performance.
-Information alone doesn't heal wounds.
#6. The Sponsor
-A sponsor uses their influence to create opportunities you couldn't create on your own.
They recommend you. They advocate for you. They introduce you.

Which mentor do you need most right now?
Don't try to find six mentors this week. Find one.
The one you need most right now. Reach out.
Buy them coffee. Ask thoughtful questions.
Show up prepared. Take notes. Do the work.