People rarely achieve success on their own, and the people that claim that they got where they are now alone probably had someone who helped them along the way. Everyone needs mentors to achieve success, be it in business, family, or life in general.
Every successful person you see has had someone who helped them pave their way, and it is not always an explicitly established mentor-mentee relationship. A mentor could be your professor in college, an older colleague, a parent, or even a friend. That said, what are the types of mentors you need to achieve success in your business?
Here are some of the most important ones.
1. The “been there, done that”
Also known as the expert, you want a mentor with an overflowing abundance of experience in the industry you want to explore. This person has the skills and wisdom that they’ve built throughout the years, making them a reliable source of information in the field. By working with such a mentor, you can learn the basics, adopt better techniques, avoid common pitfalls, and get familiar with the path you’re taking in the fastest way possible.
You can find this person by generally looking for someone with gray hair and wrinkles. While age does not necessarily denote wisdom, you have better chances of finding this type of mentor is someone who has already lived out most of their life.
2. The life coach
If you ask some of the most successful people in the world, their definition of success is not about how much money they make—it’s about the more important things that financial freedom allows them to do, such as spending time with family, traveling the world, and pursuing creative passions.
So whether you are just starting out or already a veteran in the business, find someone who can help you realize the most important aspects of life. You can hire a life coach online to find help for life matters other than business. Or you can sit down with a successful business owner who has valuable insights on how to live your life to the fullest.
3. The colleague
This is the coworker who listens to your ideas, advises you on projects, and sits through your presentation run-throughs. They are the person that you can turn to when you need another’s view on something, and they are not afraid to give you constructive criticism. The relationship with this coworker is often symbiotic, wherein you both support each other and hold each other accountable with a bit of friendly competition on the side.
4. The advocate
The advocate type of mentor does not necessarily have to be in your industry, or even in your business, for that matter. They are your number one fan and will talk you and your business up to anyone who will listen. They can also be your connector, providing references and potential business opportunities that can help you move further. And as such, they are some of the most valuable people you want to have in your circle, even if they are not directly related to your business.
5. The truth bomber
Few people like having things laid out to them like it is, but in business, it is an incredibly powerful tool that can help you make better decisions. The truth bomber is a mentor that knows your strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, and background. They can be friends or relatives, someone who is close to you and knows you well. Perhaps it can even be your business partner.
This type of mentor is not afraid to tell you things as they are, even if you don’t want to hear them. They will force you to see yourself as is, helping you become more self-aware. They will challenge you, which can be frustrating, but they will hold you accountable and open up your path to personal growth.
6. The underling
A mentor is not always someone who is older than you or has more experience than you. They can be an underling who you mentor yourself, someone who has fresh insights that you have never heard before. This type of mentor can introduce you to new ideas, broaden your knowledge, and increase your awareness of how things are at the bottom.
Mentors can come and go, but the lessons they impart will stay with you forever. We all need these types of mentors in our lives, especially when it comes to business—they can help us learn, grow, adapt, and most importantly, make the most out of our lives.
