Mentoring Matters

?Mentoring has always played a crucial role in transforming lives and societies. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King emulated Benjamin E. Mays; Maya Angelou mentored Oprah; Walter Sisulu was the mentor of Nelson Mandela. Dusé Mohamed Ali mentored Marcus Garvey. Indeed, all great leaders had great mentors in their lives. Thus, mentors matter.

??The Greek philosopher Aristotle was recognized as a virtue ethicist. He believed in the emulation of virtues, and thus mentors or role models play an indispensable role in providing the appropriate examples for others to follow. Aristotle believed that individuals would be incapable of reproducing virtuous behaviour without this.

A young man once asked me, “Osbourne, imagine you were again my age, 23 years old. What advice would you give to your younger self?” I thought about the question for a while. However, I asked him for a week to reflect on the matter. I finally responded by telling him I would identify a great mentor, sit at his feet, listen to his wise precepts and advice, and emulate his every action.

???After a month, he remarked, “Osbourne, you have changed my life. I took your advice. I searched and found a great mentor online. After three sessions with him, I viewed things differently. Today, I have a growing business and envisaging a brighter future because of my relationship with my mentor, who has helped me clarify my vision and view the world through a clearer set of lenses.”

On hearing the words of my young friend, I could not help reflecting on the saying of a rabbi who once said,?“let thy house be a house of meeting for the Sages, and sit in the very dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst.”