Over the years, many people have asked when they should find a mentor. The truth is, we have all had mentors throughout our lives and careers. We may not have recognized them as mentors, and they might not have known they were acting as a mentor.

As we’ve discussed in other blogs, mentors are individuals who, with no expectation of any reward:

1. Ask you questions or clarifying questions

2. Challenge your status quo

3. Ask you to think about a different way to approach an issue

Occasionally, a third party or organization may pay people to deliver mentoring services, but in general, mentors surround us every day and it is up to us to leverage or acknowledge their presence and contribution.

It was a humbling experience for me to learn that someone I worked with years ago viewed me as a mentor. I share that today because many times, we are mentoring others without our own awareness. Bur behaviors, our words, our knowledge, can be viewed as mentoring for someone that’s growing their business or growing personally.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What have you done to insure that you have mentored someone in the past?

2. What do you think mentors need to have to be mentors?

3. What other thoughts on mentors are you able to share?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.