...In The Patterns Of Your Mentor.

 As a young protege to one of my mentors years ago, with all sense of modesty, I learnt early the virtue of teachability. I was always smart enough to recognise and accept what I didn't know and sought after knowing same or anybody, anywhere, anytime from whom I can learn same. Delightfully, I still do; need I say:"it is now my second nature?" As a matter of fact, this attitude set me in the path of mentorship early in life as the pathway to making the most of destiny. One fundamental wisdom I learnt as an easy way to grow fast under one's mentor from my mentor is the wisdom of "following of patterns"...in a colloquial palance- "do as I do." It sounds so simple but very easy to carry out and doubtlessly effective. I have grown from a young (in wisdom and age), naive, inexperienced, unexposed, unenlightened mentee to who I am today, and I reckon that I am still growing with a lot to keep learning. Personally and professionally (I submit modestly that) I execute many tasks effortlessly today owing to following of patterns that I glean regularly from my very generous mentors. My destiny journey curve is being cut short by the day as I addictively follow "In The Patterns Of My Mentors". Over time I have had the pleasure of having young professionals too look up to and 'submit' to me to be mentored. Not because they 'like my face', but they admire the results (growing achievements) they see around me. Ironically, I have been able to achieve these admired results (among many other things) by following in the patterns of my mentors.


The future one gets to begins with a picture one follows. Every wonderful future begins with colourful picture. The future begins with a picture. What you 'picture' the longest is what becomes the strongest in your life. These pictures are patterns that serve as guides for a fruitful future if followed.

What Are Patterns?

Patterns are regularly repeated order of doing (executing) things, happenings, or the way things develop in personal and professional tasks. Patterns gleaned from one's mentor are prophetic pictures meant to create perfect future (if followed). When these 'pictures' are followed, they form principles by which results can be achieved in that area of professional endeavour effortlessly. Patterns are the 'prophetic' principles of the mentor which when patterned after make the protege (mentee) a 'principal'. Doing things the way your mentor does them delivers for you the order of results your mentor is achieving. In other words if you want to 'see' what your mentor is seeing in terms of results, achievements, success etc. execute your personal and professional tasks applying the strategy or pattern by which your mentor achieved this result. One of my mentor is fond of saying: "I am not successful because I am your mentor, I am successful because I am doing what makes for success! If you do what I do, you will see what I see!" Following your mentor's tested and result-proven patterns gives you access to success without sweat. I speak experientially.


What Is Following Of Patterns?

Through assiduous commitment to his or her 'raison d'être' (reason for being or purpose), your mentor has discovered some execution strategies, principles, ways, procedures or patterns in your professional area of endeavour (by which he has achieved success again and again) for which you are mentoring under him or her for. These execution strategies, principles, ways, procedures, or patterns have been proven by your mentor to be true again and again. They have produced the results you find around your mentor today for which you were endeared to him or her in the first place and decided that he or she should mentor you. These executions are 'wheels' which have been invented which need not be re-invented again if one desires similar results. You perhaps have heard the aphorism: "Do not re-invent the wheel." If you desire the order of results your mentor delivers without sweat and even more; do not re-invent the wheel, follow in the patterns of your mentor.

1. Patterning after 'prophetic' pictures painted by the 'prophet' (your mentor) to determine your future.

2. Following of your mentor's examples as instructions so as to become an admirable 'sample.'

3. Learning by the observation of your mentor's principles, procedures and processes of execution so as to achieve same desired results (success) as your mentor.


How Do You Follow Patterns?

1. Following A Mentor With Patterns-
Following of patterns begins with following a mentor who has patterns to be followed. A mentor who has patterns that can be followed has results of success to show for same. So follow a succeeding mentor- he or she will have patterns for you to follow to become a succeeding mentee too. All my mentors are individuals of endless patterns. Aren't I blessed?

2. Following Through Instructions-
A mentor is essentially a type of a teacher who schools you into exploits and releases you into  destiny. Instruction is one of the major tools by which  your mentor will groom you into the enviable individual you desire to become. Instructions are the gateways to destiny. One of my mentors often says: "his greatest success secret is following of instructions." Following of instructions is the key to distinction. The many sessions you will have or do have with your mentor where by he or she attends to your destiny questions or inquiries affords him or her to groom you with instructions on what to do, how to do it or them to achieve results. Words of wisdom make up instructions, when followed you end up a fulfilled individual. I have lost count on how many things my mentors have instructed me on that has brought me mind blowing results. However it takes meekness to learn from 'the made'. You the mentee are the one who desires to be 'made' and your mentor is 'the made'. So if you must follow your mentor through instructions, acquire meekness.

3. Following Through Observation-
Observatory learning as I otherwise call it, is paying a close attention to what you see your mentor do, beyond just saying, in the execution of professional tasks. Learning by observation is the most magnetic form of learning. There are a thousand and one things your mentor may not have time to teach you (not because he or she does not want to) and you may not even know enough to ask. That is why your eyes should be wide open to learn and keep learning around your mentor as you watch him or her execute professional tasks before you.

Following through observation is one of my favourite  patterns of learning from my mentors. Why? What you hear, your brain may not retain, but what you see you hardly forget. Learning by observation gives you access to details that are sometimes inexplicable. The most effective of the patterns in my theatre and speaking (inspirational, training, compeering etc.) careers, I have gleaned through observing my mentors' execution styles. The specialist in any field has one secret; he or she has a knack for details and to be careful for details, you must be observant. A man of detail is a man in demand and a man in demand is a man set for distinction. Follow your mentor through observation.

Caution About Following Of Patterns-

The following of your mentor's patterns is NOT to make you a carbon copy of your mentor, but a better copy. The irony of mentorship is that a 'better copy' is created through an 'imperfect person' or 'copy.' While you are the 'better copy' ultimately, your mentor is the 'imperfect copy.' Please know that in the pursuit of perfection we mentees follow in the foot steps of our 'imperfect mentors'. If ultimately you don't get better results than your mentor, you have failed! These are proven mysteries friend.


Benefits Of Following Of Patterns-

Whatever does not make you better in life will make you bitter in life! It is the benefits you enjoy in life that makes you better n life.

1. Speedy Accomplishment- 
From ancient scripts; while the spying of the land of canaan took 12 spies in 40 days, commissioned by Moses (Joshua's mentor) in the presence of the elders of Israel and the entire people of Israel, the spying of Jericho took 2 spies about 5 days, commissioned by Joshua (Moses' mentee) in the secret before only him. The lesson to learn here is that from carefully observing your mentor's patterns some of which may be erroneous (Yes! As he or she is not perfect), as a wise mentee, observe same but rather than make a matter of them, learn from them and improve on these patterns. By so doing you are bound to have speedier accomplishments.

2. Better Approach For Better Results-
An ever-desirous-to-grow mentee will always seek a better way of doing things. As you observe areas of improvement in your mentors patterns you discover better approaches for better results. However, this will not 'jump on' you over night,you must have developed your skills under your mentor's tutelage to an extent, garnered some hands-on experiences, always seeking to learn and grow.

3. Sweatless Success-
What you want to do effortlessly you must first start diligently. The more you follow your mentor's patterns and constantly seek to improve on the patterns, results and more, you will find out that you will become capable of doing more with less effort yet, achieving greater success!

4. Operating At A Higher Level-
The end of a mentor's exploit marks the beginning of his or her mentee's exploit. The 'full stop' of a mentor marks the full start of a mentee. Following of patterns will empower you a mentee to begin your season of exploits at the height of the season of your mentor's exploits. In other words, you naturally operate at a higher level following your mentor's patterns. All my talents in different areas of my professional interests were very crude and unrefined at the commencement of my mentorship with my mentors, but after journeying a distance over the years with my mentors there's no doubt I have left the level of delivery I was. Now I have the pleasure of overseeing 158 mentees in 3 continents. You sure may agree with me that it is not the one that does not have any patterns that can be followed that will command the followership of 158 mentees.

Be reminded (as I said in "You Need A Mentor"- a previous article) that your mentor is the prophetic picture of your perfect future. Following of patterns is attempting to succeed like your mentor by following his success principles and patterns. If you must get what others have gotten, you have got to do what they have done. Your insult can turn to result, bring you a reward and win you an award by following in the steps of an 'award winner.' Those who follow in the foot steps of great men, take great steps to great heights. Those who refuse examples end up in shambles! You can become a 'sample' instead of ending up in shambles by following examples. Examples are pre-ambles for not ending up in shambles but as a sample. It is doing what others have done that empowers you to become what they have become! Until you follow the patterns of the prophetic picture i.e. your mentor, for your perfect future, you will make little or no significant profit form your purpose. Doing it the way your mentor did it helps you get it the way your mentor got it. You will get nothing following nothing! I urge you, follow "In The Patterns Of Your Mentor."