The Magic of Mentorship

 

We all have our ideas, beliefs, and way of navigating through life, personally and professionally. Sometimes when we are so busy wearing all of our different hats, a new perspective is what is missing to take our lives to the next level. That added perspective could come to us through the magic of mentorship.

I recently experienced the power of mentorship first-hand through participation as a mentor in the Mowgli Mentoring Experience here in Lebanon. A four-day intensive training course in mentorship, the first two days were dedicated solely to the mentors, equipping them with skills and strategy to serve people as they figure out their next steps.  I was amazed to be in a room with 12 individuals, each successful in their own right, but more than that, humbly willing to give of their own time, one of the few things we can’t place value on. Each and every one of us that sat in the boardroom, which felt like our living room, was so open, honest, and willing to learn the skills that Mowgli had to offer to better serve our mentees. I was honored to be one of those 12 people and ready to learn as much as I could from the amazing facilitators, Mr. Ian Prosser, Mr. Simon Edwards, and Ms. Lynn Brucker, the dedicated Mowgli team.

After the first 2 days…. enter the mentees! How exciting to be faced with 12 individuals actively on their path of learning and enlightenment: wide open hearts and minds, ready to learn and better their businesses and their lives; actively engaged in their individual journeys to bettering themselves and by default, those around them. What an inspired group of 12 people, any one of which, I would have been delighted to mentor.

For the remaining two days, we worked with the mentees, got to know each and every one of them, and allowed the time for the Mowgli team to take great care getting to know each of the mentors and mentees. They spent time observing, learning our characteristics, and identifying the mentees' needs, and then pairing each mentor with the mentee that was the best match for both. While I’m sure their selection was systematic, they were the first to say that while they did the best that they could, there is an element to the process--the chemistry--that is again… magic!

I am already excited for next year! I am so looking forward to working closely with my mentee, getting to know her, learning about her challenges, and doing anything I can to help her stay on her path. I can only hope that she will take from me as much as I have already taken from her and from this learning and life experience.

3 simple words to describe the overwhelming feelings that remain:

Humbled. Inspired. Honored.

-Nadine Okla Program Manager, WEL Project