http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP2KB3-0LtU

The Mentoring Dance

This visual teaching moment is so pivotal to your learning to develop leaders within your Evolved Economy.

If you aren't actively mentoring then your Evolved Economy is really just an elaborate sales position. But if in fact you are raising up leaders as well as attracting great leaders then you are experiencing the true magic of The Evolved Economy.

The tricky thing about mentoring work is that there is very little applause. Usually only a few people will know immediately that you have been privately bringing out the best in your leaders. If you are extremely skilled no one ever knows but the individual you are pouring greatness into. The Evolved Economy runs on some what counter intuitive principles and this means that the most influential leader within the traditional economy will require mentoring so that they do not waste resources applying antiquated methods on this hybrid economy. So plan to be a mentor.

I have been teaching mentoring principles for over 25 years now and one thing remains the same, very few people actually know how to mentor leaders. They think they are mentoring when followers are learning, but that is just leading. Mentoring is quite different. A leader responds to a different language and energy than anyone else in your team. You must adjust to them, not the other way around. Most organizations are nothing but frustrating to leaders. Leaders are very predictable as they have a code of principles that they live their life by and decisions come easily. They are not emotionally driven but principle focused. This can aggravate the untrained mentor.

The video I share here is about the concluding days of a mentoring relationship. It is a painful and careful dance as the mentor earns to decrease and allow the mentee to increase. But it is a dance that is all too necessary in order for your Evolved Economy is mature. I have shared the anguish and joy of mentors stepping back so that their mentees can shine.

I hope this will inspire you to become just what your team needs you to be, a mentor. Begin to share those four powerful words with those who are aspiring to lead, "I Can See You..."