JLM, I have a coach, and I am about to be mentored in my upcoming accelerator program. I have some mentors being chosen for me and I will also chose some. I have some ultra top of industry choices – one I’ve met and might do it, and another I have no idea, he is a national figure.

I agree with @donnawhite:disqus on a bit of shaking in the boots, and I agree with you on making it your dream team. I will have some help to get my mentors, but I’d ask you how you would approach a really top of industry/field person as an upstart like myself. Any pointers?

PS Above link to past post not working….

Agree 100%

Just wanted to tack on that first hand, live mentoring or coaching is essential to the process. There’s something that async/internet/remote connectivity can’t quite convey. The body language, the mood, the responsibility to see it through all happen in face to face interactions. Find a local business leader you admire and reach out. Worst case, you try again. It can’t be harder than learning to play the guitar!

Hey Donna, I’ve often asked myself this. And I realized that the best way to find out is to ask those who make the effort. (and not everybody WANTS to be a mentor..).

The answers tend to surprise me.. 🙂

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Plus I have a fearless wild streak in my heart.

How far can we really drive?

The mystery of life.
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First like any “blind date” someone has to advance the proposition.

The big secret in life is that the “pretty girls” often scare off guys. Nobody is out of your league. Nobody. Hell, it’s YOUR league. Make it the BIG leagues.

Second, it is good business for everyone involved. Good business.

The CEO who fails to develop those special talents in his organization is spending money and not getting anything in return. It is almost a duty to develop talent through mentoring.

Third, it is fun. There is nothing so gratifying as seeing a plan come together and passing along what you know to someone else. The story I told in the prior post made me feel good, made me feel like I had done the right thing and was, in fact, the right thing to do.

Pay it forward.
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As a young and whip smart businessman, you should reach out to folks you admire — in much the same way that your leadership series reaches out to entrepreneurial leaders — and develop a relationship that provides the infrastructure to deliver mentoring.

As to coaching, it is really much less difficult like asking a fishing guide to help you learn to tie a specific knot.

Make a list of things you want to learn and then make it happen.

I actually think I am speaking to the choir as I see Rohan, Inc already doing exactly this.

Happy New Year, Rohan, Inc.
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