As an individual who has been heavily involved in leadership and mentoring platforms ,I have learnt and believe that leadership is viral and that it is not leadership until it has “influence and inspiration”.The inspiration has to be transferred to others through the process of mentoring so that leadership remains a viral process."He who walks as a companion with wise men is wise, but he who associates with self-confident fools is a fool himself and shall smart for it”. (Proverbs 13 verse 20).Thus if the world is to build astute leaders, then there is a strong need for mentoring for no man is an island. Mentoring is a relational experience of trust that enables a mature person to nurture (mentor), train and empower another person (protégé) to grow into his or her destiny by sharing God-given resources. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another.It is clear that mentorship is a relationship and the fact that it is a relationship is likely to get you thinking because relationships can be exploited for self interest.Relationships can be abused under the name of mentorship and to make matters worse ,the interests of both parties the (mentor and the mentee) may result in the destruction of self esteem on either parties involved, if not professionally handled.You have to be professional as a mentor and be in the position to distinguish between abuse and inspiration.Mentors are not expected to do the following for the mentees:
1.Perform the
protégé’s job responsibilities- e.g. assume protégé’s decision-making
responsibility.
2.Help extensively
with personal problems, to the point of creating a dependent relationship.
3.Spend more time on the relationship than the mentor is willing or able to give.