Mentoring our future leaders: our role in the community

Think of the best conversation you’ve had with a friend, a colleague or maybe even someone you sat beside on an airplane.?

You squish down the aisle, sit down in your seat, avoid eye contact with the others in the row and don’t say anything. But the person next to you is cheery, engaged and asking you questions. “Where are you headed?” “What takes you there?” Before you know it, the flight is over, you’ve been deep in conversation for the duration and are contemplating exchanging emails. This is someone you want to keep chatting with.?

That is what a good mentorship relationship is. It’s more rewarding than just another task on a list to cross off. It’s a powerful energizer that can inspire both individuals with a supercharged feeling.?

We can talk for days about the benefits of being a mentee or?protégé; the learning and opportunity that comes for someone eager and curious when they connect and have a guide to lean on and grow from as they make their way in life. At?Influence Mentoring, we have a front-row seat to watch the deliberative, proactive nature of these inspiring people who have chosen to be part of our unique mentorship program for Indigenous post-secondary students.?

We hear less about what it truly means to be a mentor, to be the guide and the consistent ally for an individual getting started in their career, no matter their age.?

Elevating our communities

Being a mentor is very personal. To me, a mentor is someone who has decided to pay it forward and wants to give back to the community. When I see myself in that, I think of it in a way that I have insights or knowledge that might be helpful for someone on their own journey.?

We all play a role in elevating the communities in which we live; our global society. As a mentor, we have an opportunity to share knowledge, be a sounding board, connect with others and through that, help advance the ideas of others that could be the innovations of the future.?

Think back on yourself as a young go-getter with big ideas and plans. You’re deep in the weeds and it’s hard to see the trees through the forest. You’re in it. Your mentor is there to help you get to a place where you can see what you already know. They are bringing you to the 30,000-foot view so you can see it in its entirety. That is the mentorship experience.

Part of your daily schedule

Mentorship shouldn’t be an arduous pursuit or relationship. It’s a connection, a scheduled meeting in your calendar or a quick text message to check-in. It doesn’t have to be a deep conversation; it’s simply the act of letting someone know they are not alone.?

Mentoring is building and strengthening social capital for both protégés and mentors, elevating their knowledge, expanding their networks and revealing opportunities.

We all have had something in our life that we can look at and say: “I didn’t think I had the energy or the time, but as soon as I was in it and I got it done, I felt so much better and energized.”?

Think back to the airplane conversation. How did you feel??

This is your moment to bring those conversations to the forefront.?

Influence Mentoring is currently accepting applications for Mentors and?Protégés for the 2022-2023 season. Reach out for more information or visit?influencementoring.com.