I found this article by Ivan Misner in Entrepreneur magazine…
Can you remember someone who selflessly shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with you to help you succeed? Mentors come to us disguised as parents, coaches, teachers, colleagues, supervisors and friends. Mentors share with us what they've learned to help us avoid making the same mistakes they made. They support us through our struggles with guidance and constant nurturing. They celebrate our achievements as if they were their own. They are the very embodiment of the "Givers Gain" philosophy–in other words, they are happy to give their time and effort to help others because they know that by helping others unselfishly, others will ultimately want to help them in return.
Mentors are invaluable resources for our business success. They guide us through growth, change and crisis; they help us become who we are truly meant to be. Mentors are leaders, often leading by example. Leaders move us forward. As Peter F. Drucker, the man considered the father of modern management, said, "Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations."
Ivan Misner is the founder & chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization – so he knows what he's talking about…
