Discover Your Million Dollar Mentor.

Who is a Mentor?

A Mentor is an experienced person who advises and helps somebody with less experience over a period of time. The experienced in this definition is the mentor, and the less experienced (or in  experienced) is the protégé or mentee. The ‘experience’ which the Mentor shares with the protégé could be in a particular field of endeavour, a particular aspect of life or various fields or aspects of life. That’s why it’s instructive (as I’ll be discussing later) that the choice of who a protégé decides to mentor him or her must be somebody  (a mentor) among other things, in his/her field. The protégé enjoys the privilege of leveraging on the experience of the mentor to launch forth in life and destiny.
 
A Mentor is the prophetic picture of a protégé’s preferred future. A mentor is the ladder that takes a protégé higher. A mentor is the secret to a protégé’s extra-ordinary success. A mentor is the roadmap to the protégé’s destiny. A mentor  is a custodian of divine virtue, meant to enhance a protégé’s destiny value. A mentor is a coach, a goad, a teacher, a trainer, who schools a protégé into exploits and releases him/her into destiny. If you my dear reader must make a mark too difficult to erase in life and destiny, you  NEED a mentor.
 
What is Mentorship?

Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.
The person in receipt of mentorship may be referred to as a protégé (male), a protégée (female), an apprentice or, in recent years, a mentee.

Mentoring is a process that always involves communication and is relationship based, but its precise definition is elusive. One definition of the many that have been proposed, is:
Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development;mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the protégé).

Mentorship (or mentoring) is a destiny relationship where the mentor shares his/her wealth of experience with his/her mentee with respect to a particular aspect(s) of life or field(s) of endeavour. Through mentorship, a mentor out of  his wealth of insight, wisdom and experience tutors, helps to discover hidden talents of the mentee and nurture them into skills.
 
What Mentorship is not.

Mentorship is not imposition of authority, but an empowerment into authority by the submission of a mentee to a mentor. Until a protégé submits to a mentor, a Mentor has NO right of authority over a protégé, neither can he or she exercise same.
 
Locating and Securing Your Million Dollar Mentor-

The task of locating and securing a mentor is solely that of a protégé to embark on and not the other way round. It’s a protégé that searches out and chooses who he or she can submit to, to be mentored by. That person who he or she would be willing to submit to, by empowering him or her to have the right of authority over him or her and therefore have right to exercise same. 

The task of locating and securing a mentor by a protégé is one that should be done meticulously and never rashly or hastily. Those who rush into a relationship that’s meant to be a long term one, often rush out with regrets and heartaches. Mentorship relationship is a destiny influencing  relationship such that if care is not taken in how one chooses his or her mentor, the choice of a 'wrong' mentor can  adversely affect one's destiny. This is so vital, critical, and crucial because your mentor is a type of your destiny compass in human form. In addition, who you go with determines where you end. The question therefore is, what are those basic criteria you must consider in choosing your million dollar mentor or what basic qualities are  germaine to help you locate that mentor suited for your life and destiny?
 
Criteria to Consider in Choosing Your Million Dollar Mentor-

A- Locating-
Most and generally, it’s result(s) i.e the enviable or admirable success(es) or achievements of a particular individual in any field of endeavour or area of life that endears a potential mentee to a mentor. In all of human endeavours and societies all around the world, it is result (and not age ) that commands respect. So as you intend to locate your mentor, let his or her result(s), enviable track record(s), success(es) or inspiring achievements be what should command your respect and help you locate that suitable mentor for you. Putting it more in succinctly, while result or success, generally speaking in any aspect of life or field of endeavour  is a primary quality  of attraction to a mentor, there are other definite and more instructive qualities to look out for in helping you as a protégé locate your mentor.
 
1. Relevant Field -
“Birds of the same feather... “ they say: “flock together”. First and foremost , in locating your desired mentor, you’ve got to carefully seek out such an individual within your  field professionally, career, vision, assignment, business type, etc. Your preferred mentor should be engaged in what you are engaged in professionally. You can’t be a clothier (fashion designer) for instance and your preferred mentor is a musician. It won’t work- lest you begin to “sing your designs”. Career, profession, business etc. compactibility is non-negotiable if you must make the most of mentorship relationship with your mentor. A man can’t give what he does not have. Since your sole purpose of needing a mentor is to have somebody who has treaded the path you’re treading or intend to tread in your career, business, ministry, vision, relationship etc. to guide you, instruct you, lead you, encourage you, motivate you, inspire you and help you get better in your chosen career, field, business etc. it’s only wise to seek out that individual within your field. It is in your field that he or she can lay claim on any experience that will be relevant for your mentoring professionally.
 
2.​Success in that Field -
There is a very instruct proverb of the “Yorubas” (the Yorubas hail from the western part of Nigeria in West Africa), that says: “It’s the gliding strides of the preceding horse that determines that of the upcoming one”. How apt? If your mentor is supposed to be a model for you to learn from, it’s therefore a predictive certainty that if you choose a mentor who’s a failure, regardless of whether he or she is in your field, you’re bound to fail!   (That will not be your lot).  It’s therefore instructive to note that you must not just choose a mentor in your field but also one that has made a success of that career, profession, business, ministry etc. you intend to mentor after. Ancient wisdom opines that… “Out of a bitter tree a sweet fruit can’t spring forth….” and….”by their fruits…..we shall  know them…”. Every mentee being mentored by his or her mentor is (in the ultimate) a fruit of his or her mentor. So if all your preferred mentor  has to offer is a track record of ‘beautiful failures’ never expect to be instructed, guided, inspired, motivated or mentored to succeed by such an individual in your career, business, trade, professional etc.  Simply put, never choose a failure as a mentor lest you fail like him or her.
 
3.​Progressive Success-
26 years ago, my father bought a brand new model Peugeot 505 saloon car. It was his fourth car at that time. Waoh! It sparked an ecstatic celebration in our family. A couple of weeks ago I saw the same type of my then Dad’s car being driven along the road, the sight of it got me amused and disgusted. Not because perhaps it was a rickety looking one? No, but I couldn’t identify with the glory, splendour, ambience, prestige and elegance I saw with the same car 26 years ago.

 In 2011 if  top 10 luxury cars are to be mentioned, I can assure you that  this car won’t get the honour of a mention. Why so? Auto discrimination? I don’t think so. Simple, yesterday’s excellence is today’s standard. What was celebrated yesterday is tolerated today. Those who are not updated would soon be outdated. It’s not enough for your preferred mentor to be in your relevant field, be successful in that field, career, profession, if his or her success is not progressive he or she would soon be outdated. You don’t wanna follow such a person. Your mentor is your leader who should always be ahead of you in result, success, exploits, so as to be able to always command your respect and inspiration.

Please don’t forget that it is result and not age or longevity that commands respect. Your mentor must be somebody who must always be able to command your respect and it is through his or her constantly progressive success that he or she will be able to do that. Moreover, if he or she is not progressive in his or her success, as long as you stick to his or her leadership, you can’t be better yourself, you are stalked. So please note.
 
4.​Integrity -
As your mentor shares with you his or her time, insight, foresight, experience etc. meant to help you move to greater heights in your field, you are bound not just to be impacted by him or her but also IMPARTED by him or her. Beyond skills and expertise that you’ll acquire through your interraction (even though you are a different individual in your own respect and mentorship is NOT designed to make you a clone of your mentor) even at that there are certain behavioural traits of your mentor that you’ll unconsciously and effortlessly begin to exhibit. 

This is so because mentorship is beyond sharing your mentor’s experience to better you, but ultimately impartation of the grace he or she bears. This is why one vital trait such as integrity is one you must be sure the one you desire to mentor you has. It is said: “Show me your friend and I’ll tell you who you are.” If you never used to lie and you follow a liar as a mentor, it’s only a matter of time you may soon begin to claim you saw white when actually it was black you saw. 

Why is integrity so vital? Integrity is the whole essence of a being no matter the degree of success, result or achievement a person has in any field. No matter how noble that field is, his or her success amounts to little or nothing if he or she lacks integrity. Commenting on him or her you’ll hear things like:(Let’s imagine that he or she is “Z” by name) "Oh! Mr. Or Miss Z is most qualified for this job considering his or her intimidating and impressive resume but he or she lacks integrity”. What a destiny stumbling block? Integrity. It is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Integrity is the perfect alignment of your thoughts, words and actions. Integrity says it  and does it. How do you know if you have integrity? When you say it, do you do what you promised to do? How beit, integrity is associated with positive or right actions. So you can’t say integrity is doing what you promised to do and associate it with negative actions or derogative intentions or deeds. Integrity in your mentor or anybody at all and including you my dear reader breeds trust in you, from those who relate or associate with you. Integrity breeds reliability and confidence of people in an individual.
 
5.​Spiritual Compatibility- 
Ancient wisdom inquires… “Can two work together except they be agreed?…” In other words there can’t be a relationship (such as mentorship) without compatibility. And the highest form of compatibility that governs every other compatibility  is spiritual compatibility. The spiritual is superior to the physical. Nothing appears physically that did not first exist in the spirit. So if you and your preferred mentor must succeed in your mentorship relationship, spiritual compatibility is non-negotiable. 

 I often assert without sentiments during sessions in mentorship classes with mentees that “Mentorship is essentially and fundamentally a spiritual union.” It transcends any other form of relationship in mentorship that may be  physical. Mentorship is NOT a man-made relationship design, but a God-instituted relationship, designated to transfer His grace upon one vessel to another or others from one generation to another for the purpose of the furtherance of His divine will and agenda for that generation. 

No matter how endowed a gentleman or lady is by reason of how God created him or her and no matter how enviable a destiny God has for him or her, God has still designed that mentorship  is one very potent key by which such an individual will make the most of his or her destiny.  I speak experientially. If so true therefore, in addition to relevant field, success in that field, progressive success and integrity, spiritual compatibility is fundamentally important for a most rewarding mentorship relationship.

Please remember that life is all about the choices we make every now and then. We are what we are today, where we are today and how we are today based on the choices we made 'yesterday', professionally, financially, emotionally, maritally and spiritually. So in the choice of your 'destiny compass'- (preferred) million dollar mentor, mind how you choose. I hope you will find the suggestions above helpful.

Now that you know how to discover your million dollar mentor, in the next edition  I hope to share with you on how to secure your mentor, having located  the one you believe is divinely designed to guide you through destiny, relating  with your mentor…etc. 

You’ll not fail! You’ll arrive at destiny in grand style. Your story shall soon be dubbed as a breaking news. You shall excell beyond your wildest imagination. It’s your turn!