Some of the most important figures in my career have been those who have chosen to mentor me, to share what they have learned. I have also always sought to do the same, to share what I learn, particularly through mentoring.
I am reminded of this once again through having had a truly energising meeting this week with someone relatively early on their coaching journey, yet already with much business experience and a very (very!) sharp mind. As I left that meeting, I immediately messaged one of my first mentors in coaching as they had helped me in a similar way well over a decade ago. The message was simply to say thank you, to acknowledge both the role they had for me and, in connecting the dots, the role they now play in enabling me to “pay it forward”.
That meeting this week also reminded me of a movie, Lucy, that another mentor of mine, Ed Percival, used to love. Within it is this scene, where the character played by Morgan Freeman notes that: “Our highest purpose is to share knowledge“.
If you are already mentoring, I thank you for sharing your knowledge. If you are considering doing some mentoring, I highly encourage it, both to share knowledge, and also that the best mentoring relationships give what I term “a mutual exchange of energy”, as with my mentoring meeting this week.