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What Does It Mean to Be a Mentor?

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Startup accelerators have become a key feature of the entrepreneurial landscape, offering mentorship, education, and networking opportunities. But how much do these programs really influence a startup's success?

 

Mentor” was once the first name of an old man, according to Greek mythology. Mentor was a friend of Odysseus, and once Odysseus was called for the Trojan War, he entrusted Mentor with the care of his son. As you guessed, to mentor him.


In 1699, it was first used by a French author with the intent to pair action to the name. A mentor, someone who may impart wisdom and share knowledge with a less experienced colleague.


Dr. Shoshi Chen, our organizational behavioral expert, defines the role of a mentor as two-fold:

  1. To promote learning

  2. To empower


Learning is not simple. To learn is to change, and we don’t always like change, much less when it demands an internal behavioral adjustment. Especially when it’s directed at ourselves and our behavior.


So, how do we learn?


When we ask founders want they want, they say “just from someone who’s done it.” A founder seeks to hear from those who’ve done the long nights, and made the hard choices in taking a leap of faith, all to know that indeed, it will pay off. These stories speak mountains, and they inspire entrepreneurs to take off the training wheels, hit a few bumps, and find their unique path to success. In other words, go out and try it.


Learning is built on trust, so it comes as no surprise that your first step to mentorship would be to build trust.


And trust, in turn, stands on 3 legs:


  1. Authenticity - know yourself and be yourself. Get to know your mentee and be honest about yourself; don't hesitate to talk about failures and hardships, it opens the door for communication.

  2. Empathy - encourage asking questions, even the difficult ones. Embrace resistance by the mentee; change is hard, we've talked about that.

  3. Predictability - be consistent and manage expectations. It's great to be available to your mentee 24/7, but it's also okay to have a set hour every other week. As long as you're reliable and predictable - you're trustworthy.




Your second role is to empower and promote growth.


Have you heard about the fixed vs. growth mindset?


Long story short - we can evolve. You weren't born tech-savvy? It's not a fixed condition; you can grow to be an early adopter.


So help your mentee set clear goals for the future, accurately assess the present, review possible alternatives, and make a plan.


So just a few more tips we’ve watched make a true impact in becoming a great mentor:


  1. Sometimes you’ll need to give them a good push, sometimes you’ll charge first in the frontline to lead them to greatness, but more often than not, your role would be to act as an observer who sees the big picture they cannot see, and show them that outside perspective.

  2. Don’t push too hard towards growth. Growth at all costs is a dangerous game. Consider this: cancer is nothing but unchecked growth. Instead, focus on development - becoming better rather than just bigger.

  3. And lastly, life and especially entrepreneurship is like a game of ropes and ladders - you can slowly climb up, then pivot and be back at square three.


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