We all have knowledge that we can share with others.

It’s pretty common for managers to suggest finding a mentor.  Many books and leaders extol the benefits of having a mentor as well.  It should seem pretty obvious, but for all of us to have mentors, we all have to be mentors as well.

You’ve been out there a while now.  What do you know that you can share?  What advice can you give?  How can you help someone else avoid some of the mistakes that you made?

I like to encourage people to take the initiative to become a mentor to someone else.  You might be surprised, but there are people out there who look up to you.  There are individuals who would be thrilled to spend time with you to learn about your business, your experience, and the path you took to get to where you are today.

Being in the Midwest, I understand that simply acknowledging that we have particular expertise or talent can be difficult.  It takes courage and a little bit of ego to put oneself out there like that.

That said, I can tell you from experience that each mentor learns from his or her mentee.  The relationship and benefit goes both ways.

If you are always the mentee and have yet to be the mentor now’s the time to think about what you have to offer to others and how to pass that information on to them.

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. ~Booker T. Washington