What Happens in Successful Mentorships

January marks National Mentoring Month, providing me with a spark to reflect on mentorship. Mentorships influence and inform the choices we make and the actions we take. On my desktop today, there are many reminders of my mentors and mentees (right now, I'm glancing at the management classic, Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, co-authored by my early mentor, Warren Bennis).

I am celebrating and remembering five ways mentoring relationships helped me grow, moving me out of my comfort zone and into my learning zone. I hope that these reflections help you make the most of your mentoring relationships.

Let's acknowledge that mentorship is one of the most underrated keys to success. A mentoring relationship can last a lifetime. They can, for example, make all the difference for someone starting in their career or to another seeking guidance on taking their business to the next level. If you're lucky enough to be in a great mentoring relationship, show your gratitude by mentoring someone.

If you're looking for a mentor, or if you want to become a better mentor, keep reading. We'll discuss some tips for finding and developing successful mentorship relationships.

CARING AND TRUSTING

Care and trust are essential in any effective working relationship, and mentorship is no exception. Trust is one of the most important aspects of a healthy relationship. When we trust someone else, we open ourselves up to be vulnerable. In a mentoring relationship, this trust is essential. We must rely on our mentor to have our best interests at heart and help us grow in the areas we need to improve.

One of my mentors was a great encourager. I trusted her, and she helped me build my skills. She also offered suggestions for how to improve in specific areas. The mentor created an environment where I could learn without judgment, as she cheered me on to achieve my goals. She helped me to stay motivated and push through my challenges.

INSPIRING POTENTIAL

Inspiration is another benefit of mentorship. A mentor can help mentees see their potential and believe they can do anything! When we have someone who believes in us, it gives us the courage to pursue our dreams and achieve great things. When I feel stuck or lost, my mentor can help steer me back in the right direction. They help me see new possibilities and inspire me to reach my full potential.

Another mentor provided me with a great example of someone who took risks and stepped into her potential. She showed me that it's okay to be different and push boundaries. This action helped me find my voice and inspired me to take bigger steps in my life.

REDUCING LIMITING ASSUMPTIONS AND BELIEFS

Mentors help us test our assumptions and beliefs. They ask tough questions that help us reflect on our lives and progress. We often learn more from mentors than in classrooms or other formal learning environments.

Challenge is an integral part of growth, and mentorship provides the perfect opportunity for challenging assumptions and limiting beliefs. One mentor has helped me see the world differently and opened my eyes to possibilities I never knew existed. A good mentor can help us explore our passions and figure out what we want to do with our lives. With belief comes power, and with power comes the ability to do great things. My mentor pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me learn how to face difficult situations head-on. The encouragement I absorbed has helped me become a more confident individual willing to reduce limiting beliefs.

CHANGING, GROWING, AND DEVELOPING

Mentorship facilitates change, development, and growth. It is a powerful tool that can help us reach our full potential. Mentors believe in growth possibilities–they help us get unstuck when things go awry and are our cheerleaders while we chart new paths or try out behaviors for ourselves.

We all can change and grow, but a good mentor can help us do it faster and in the right direction. Mentors believe wholeheartedly in what can be accomplished through growth opportunities. They help us get unstuck when things seem bleak, so we don't give up too soon before trying again!

STAYING GRATEFUL

Mentorship is an invaluable tool that has the potential to make a lasting impact on both mentor's and mentee's lives. People often find themselves repeating lessons learned from their experience in a mentorship. There is nothing more gratifying than feeling good about yourself when you're helping someone else grow into whom they want to be! Mentoring relationships keep us ever grateful and encourage lifelong approaches to assisting others to learn.

As the American poet Robert Frost observed, "I "m not a teacher, but an awakener."

Mentoring relationships are a two-way street. They can provide us with invaluable insight on how to better ourselves, but they also allow us to help others grow and learn for themselves. The lessons learned during these relationships often become lifelong habits that we practice in our day-to-day lives.

If you're looking for a mentor or would like some coaching on your own professional development goals, let's talk!

I am grateful for mentoring. What about you?

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Mike Horne?is a leadership coach and team developer. He is the host of the Authentic Change Podcast and author of Integrity by Design: Working and Living Authentically. Please consider downloading a sample chapter .