As leaders it’s incumbent upon all of us to mentor our successors and individuals earlier in their careers. I think about early in my career and those people that were highly influential in how I evolved into a leader, teammate, husband and father. When I think back and reflect on what really resonated with me from those mentors, it wasn’t the books they recommended, the academics they achieved or the roles each of them held. What really stuck with me, even to this day, is how their personal experiences, testimonies and core values forged who they are as leaders.

I really enjoy mentoring people, it’s not something that I ever thought I would be good at when I was younger. As I have shared in previous posts, I was very introverted growing up and even to this day meeting new people and networking does not come naturally to me. As a leader mentoring others, I have taken an approach of sharing some of my personal experiences and how those experiences have influenced an aspect of my leadership style and approach. Here are a couple of examples:

Dealing with adversity: I have personally dealt with a period in my marriage that was incredibly difficult. In addition, I lost a loved one very close to me to cancer at a young age. This has taught me perspective, meaning there is nothing that happens in the workplace that can compare to some of my personal struggles, therefore put those situations in perspective, be patient and press on.

Dealing with success: I’ve had the good fortune with having periods of success. I was a four time All-American in college and have seen success in my career. This has taught me gratefulness and humility. Savor these moments but understand nothing lasts forever and success can be taken away at any point in time. Also, your success is typically not your own, there were many along the way that helped make it happen.

Crucial conversations: If you know me and have followed my Blog, I am a huge proponent of a therapist. I have utilized a therapist for about 7 years to help me not only deal with difficult situations, but typically behind every difficult situation are difficult conversations. This has taught me how to listen first, respect the person while focusing on the situation that has led to the crucial conversation. Lastly, be honest and transparent while coming from a place of authenticity and grace when navigating the conversation.

Leadership takeaways:

1. Don’t be afraid to mentor someone, a team member, friend or student. Everyone has something tangible to pass on.
2. Experiences always trump training, books and academia when it comes to impacting people’s ability to retain and put into practice.
3. Don’t shy away from showing vulnerability when sharing your personal experiences and how they have influenced your leadership.