10 Mentorship Lessons

In my 11 years in hands-on mentorship passion, i have learnt alot! Much more than i have taught. What i started out as a hobby back then, has become my full time job today, worth paying office rent for. I had sworn never again to work on Saturdays 10 years ago as i quit my job at 'muhindi' and i kept my word... until passion knocked me out. Ladies and gentlemen, here i am, having worked back to back from dawn to dusk almost every Saturday since the year begun and with no regrets at all. 

I would like to share with you 10 Valuable Lessons i have learnt in my journey as a mentor:

1. Be Secure - The reality is that some of the people you mentor carry a destiny that is greater than yours. They will have more impact than you. They will achieve greater feats than you did that might even affect you and your generations to come. Yet you are to guide them and speak life to them. Mentorship is about realizing you are carrying something greater than yourself. That you have potential to make people greater than you are or will ever be. And to settle this fact within yourself sets you free!

2. Be Teachable - If you can not be a student, you will never be a teacher. Everything you know, you were taught through instruction or experiences in life. Someone taught you or life taught you. If you are not taught, you have nothing to teach.

3. Be an Example - If whatever you have learnt has not impacted and transformed you, it will do no much to those you instruct. There is more life and impact in what we are more than what we say. When we are, we impart many without needing to say a word - even by association and observation, they learn alot from us. 

4. Be Available - If you are not present, you are not useful no matter your potential. Availability is more crucial than competence and ability. There is something called the Gift of Presence. Even just being there, be accessible, be reliable, be visible, can be very healing. Sometimes mentorship happens through observation and modelling how life should be.

5. Be Committed - If no one is willing to die for a cause it cannot stay alive. Mentorship is deliberate, it is conscious effort. It requires planning, it requires promises to be kept, tasks to be accomplished. Without commitment, there can be activity without productivity.

6. Be Honest - Truth be told... You are not perfect. You do not know everything. Make sure your mentees know that. Do not give am impression you are a super human. Admit your bluffs and limitations to them, share about your past mistakes and how you overcame them. Sometimes allow a level of vulnerability where they need practical input. Makes them feel normal and free around you. Try your best to speak the truth and keep your word.

7. Have Endurance - There will be many temptations and opportunities to opt out. Mentees will blow it up on your face or worse still turn against you. Life's discouragement will knock out the wind in your sails and leave you gasping for air. 

In the boxing ring of mentorship, you will stay on course, not because it is convenient, but because youre motive was right when you started and you're have purposed to stay on. Count the cost and purpose to finish well. It helps to structure your mentorship goals and stick to a practical appointments schedule to enable you catch your breath every now and then as well as get much more done. 

8. Be Ever Ready - Mentorship is a full time job, be ready in and out of season. Everywhere you go will be a classroom opportunity - either to teach or to learn. Be prepared to give a life lesson to whoever needs you wherever you are.

9. Enjoy Laughter - Laugh at your self every so often. Laugh at your stupidity, laugh at your failures, laugh at your assumptions, laugh at your inadequacy, laugh at your challenges, laugh at your stress, just throw back your head and laaaaaauugh, loudly at that matter. Take everyone seriously but yourself. Keep in touch with your humanness no matter how influential or 'sought after' you become. Life is never that serious you know!

10. Eternal Perspective - Remind yourself so often that it is God who has called you and entrusted this noble and sometimes overwhelming task. Keep accountable to him above your mentees and admirers. Keep running the race with eternity in mind, keep your eyes on what really matters, looking forward to ultimately hear 'well done, my good and faithful servant'. If it doesn't matter to eternity, it will never really matter at all!

Any lessons you can add?

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