Friday, March 23, 2007

Be a Mentor

Do you have a professional mentor? What about in your personal life? If you ask the most effective leaders who their mentors are and have been in the past, they can usually rattle off a short list of names. Being the beneficiary of a mentor can transcend into a leader embracing the development of others and becoming a mentor to those whom they lead; it certainly did for me. I personally find great joy in working with others on their professional development. Do you? It is always rewarding to witness an individual that I am working with walk away from our interaction with a better understanding of how to deal with a professional situation or make a better, more informed decision. Not only have I been fortunate to facilitate this role for others, but I have been on the receiving end from some fantastic mentors over my scholastic and professional career. I have to also give my father credit here as he has been one of the most influential people and mentors in how I have developed personally and professionally. I believe that in order to be an effective leader you have to take an active role in the development of people through mentoring others.

My first true professional mentor was Shelton Prince, who was the publisher of a regional daily newspaper group headquartered in Brownwood, Texas. Shelton took a chance on a young, green, energetic advertising manager of three weekly community newspapers in Southern Illinois with an offer and acceptance of an associate publisher position. Working for Shelton was truly a learning experience that will never escape me. I still am reminded of his incredible attention to detail and how his appreciation for "seeing to the details" was instilled in me through him. I can almost feel him with me at times as I am typing an important memo, blog post or preparing for a big presentation. Shelton had a way of making me (and everyone else around him) feel important while creating a desire to work hard and do your best. Have you ever noticed how great leaders have a way of doing that without even appearing to make an effort?

The lessons I learned from Shelton live on with me still today and are passed on to the individuals that I am fortunate enough to mentor and develop. Although Shelton is no longer with us, he left quite a legacy. His legacy continues to live on today in the lessons taught by the individuals that were blessed with the opportunity to learn from him and be mentored by him. What kind of professional legacy do you hope to leave?

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