challenges

What makes a great mentor?

When we think about the people who have shaped our personal and professional growth, mentors often rise to the top of the list. What actually makes a mentor great? It’s not just about experience or expertise, it’s about how they show up for you, challenge you, and help you grow into your best self.

Great mentors often see your potential before you do, they challenge you to stretch beyond your comfort zone, pushing you in ways you may not expect but always need. Instead of handing you answers, they encourage you to ask better questions, refining your thinking, sharpening your curiosity, and helping you navigate uncertainty with more confidence. They understand that growth is a journey, not a destination. That's why they expect and encourage continuous improvement, cheering you on through small wins and big lessons alike. And while they support you in setting goals, they also dare you to dream bigger than you thought possible.

One of the most powerful things a mentor can do is challenge your assumptions. They help you uncover blind spots, see from new perspectives, and think more critically about your choices and beliefs. And here’s something you might not always notice right away: the best mentors are still learning, too, as they embody humility and curiosity, showing that growth never really ends. Good mentors also value independence. They respect mentees who take initiative, explore ideas on their own, and come to the table with insights and questions. Self-taught learners are often deeply appreciated, because they reflect the kind of drive and ownership that makes mentorship truly meaningful.

At the heart of it all, a great mentor isn’t trying to mold you into their image. Their goal is to teach you how to think, not what to think. So, you can step fully into your own voice, vision, and power. Whether you're lucky enough to have a great mentor now or hoping to become one yourself, I think it’s important to remember that mentorship is less about giving answers and more about creating space for growth, reflection, and transformation.

What's the challenge?

Image c/o LinkedIn

I have become both a sponge and a filter, absorbing everything while carefully choosing what to amplify. On one hand, I want to give voice to important topics, but on the other, I don’t want those topics to be solely associated with me. There’s a risk of losing myself or making it seem like the issue is about me, which could undermine the message. My challenge is finding ways to support these causes behind the scenes, without drawing too much attention to myself.

““What disturbs men’s minds is not events but their judgement on events.””
— Epictetus

These are your options

Why would you recommend doing this instead of that?
When we approach this challenge, we  should consider the appropriate framework, methodology, and process. People strive to improve and excel in various areas, including sales acumen, however, what truly sets someone apart is their business argument. I think the key differentiator lies in possessing situational knowledge. It may be referred to as situational awareness or experience, but I prefer to call it situational knowledge because it signifies having encountered similar situations and observed different decisions and outcomes. Therefore, your understanding of the context in which the client operates becomes the basis for providing advice.

What I perceive is really out there

Affirmations without discipline is the beginning of delusion. Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution after the enthusiasm of which the resolution was made has passed. The truth will set you free to correct old errors in judgement and will help you to set up new and easier disciplines to turn wrong into right. To turn lack into prosperity and turn skepticism into faith. To turn wrong into right we must speak the truth because only the truth will set us free, I mean, free to correct errors in judgement.

 

We all have unique challenges, whether it’s family or personal problems, financial issues, or business problems, we all have them at one stage or another. Errors in judgement are subtle and usually don’t show their results immediately. The formula for failure is a few errors in judgement repeated every day on a continuous basis. When you continue to repeat your errors in judgment over a period then you’ll be way off course.

““Men can be divided into two groups: One that goes ahead and achieves something and one that comes after and criticises.””
— Senaca

The ripple effect is bigger

It’s the autumn holidays and I’m still coming to terms with the passing of my mother. As a parent you have a responsibility to guide your children through life and I am grateful to be spending some quality time with my son. The life crises have a way of stripping you of our old certainties and throwing us into chaos and I think the only way to survive is to surrender to the process. When you emerge, blinking into the light, you have to rebuild what you thought you knew about yourself.

 

We live in an age of positive curation where everyone has a personal brand on social media and fear, anxiety and depression are on the rise. Challenges have a way of humbling us and knocking down our egos. The same thing can happen to two different people and one person may see it as a problem, something to complain about or run and hide from, the other can see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, and they dig in and push through. It’s not easy to shift our mindset to view challenges as opportunities, as it takes practice to change our instinctual reaction. Every day I reveal my vulnerable self and this fragility has enabled me to build up an emotional resilience necessary to tackle the next challenge. 

 

I think what you learn from things not turning out the way you planned can give you a lot more texture and meaning. I definitely would not have seen the richness in my life if I had not suffered setbacks along the way, because without them I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today, so I am extremely grateful. Success is not about getting things right the first time but stemmed from being able to look at one’s past honestly and then to correct missteps or errors of judgment.