Have you ever had a mentor? Someone who took you under his or her wing to show you the ropes? Someone who freely gave their time and shared their knowledge and experience to assist you in your own growth and development?
I can think of a couple of really good mentors I have had over the course of my career. These individuals helped shape my view of leadership and created my belief that a leader’s job, in part, is to develop future generations of leaders. They provided a safe space for me to be vulnerable, ask questions and explore ideas without any fear. They freely gave their time, insight and experience to help me be successful.
If you like college basketball, the names Coach K (Duke Blue Devils) and Pat Summit (Tennessee Lady Volunteers) are familiar. They are the two winningest coaches in Division I college basketball history. Both were honored by Sports Illustrated as the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year in 2011. You may (or may not) be a fan of their respective teams; either way, you can’t argue with their success.
