Why the youth need a mentor

Emmanuel Donkor

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener” - Robert Frost

Great mentors can awaken potential in us that we didn’t even know was there. Every successful person there is had someone awaken their potential along the way.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a junior employee at a company or a seasoned entrepreneur; we all need to have a mentor or two. No one is too experienced to learn more and no one is too green to begin exploring opportunities.


I know, as a youth, I rely heavily on my mentors. I can’t say I’d be where I am today without them. Having gone through two start up accelerators, I can’t stress to you enough how important mentors are to a young CEO or founder. You consult with your mentors whenever you are pressed with a large decision and you use them as an executive soundboard.
However, as I mentioned before, you don’t need to be a youth to have a mentor. Anybody who wants more out of life should find a mentor. Here is why, if you don’t already have a mentor, you should begin looking for one.

Learning From Your Mentor
Your mentors are there for you to learn from them. Most of the time, their knowledge is their easiest resource to share.

The truth of the matter is if you chose a mentor correctly, they’ve already done what you are planning to do. That also means that they probably made a bunch of mistakes along the way. Learn from their mistakes so that you can minimize the amount you make.

Take their advice very seriously. Mentors are there to give you the information you need to succeed. Pick their brains as often as possible and, more importantly, do your best to actually execute the advice they give you.

Sounding Board
According to Askmen website, Mentors are always great sounding boards. Much like my point above, your mentors have already “been there, done that,” so leverage this experience when pressed with hard decisions. When you have a question you need help with, reach out to your mentors for their unbiased, experienced opinion. The keywords here are “unbiased” and “experienced.”

Sure, anybody can formulate an opinion; you can ask your friends or family what they think regarding a decision, however they will be biased because of their relationship with you, and they probably won’t have the experience to give a great answer. That’s why going to your mentor for their opinion is a much better idea, rather than leaning on your friends or family.
If you’re an entrepreneur, asking for your mentor’s opinion is a great way to get a credible outsider’s perspective on a decision. Of course, you will always consult with your partners and shareholders (investors) when pressed with a decision, but remember they will always have a slightly biased opinion given their stake in the company. A mentor who has no horse in the race can give a fresh perspective.

Inspiration
If you’ve ever played sports before, think about mentors in the same light as you do coaches. Coaches are there to help teach you and prepare you to be successful in the given sport. However, they are also there to motivate you and push you past your boundaries. The likes of Muhammad Ali (World Champion Boxer), Michael Jordan (#1 NBA Basketball Player Of All Time), etc.

Great mentors will inspire you in the same way a coach would. When things aren’t looking good, they will be there to tell you to stop feeling bad for yourself and what’s wrong, but more importantly, they will tell you how to overcome your obstacles. Great mentors like Anita Erskine, Mr Nathan Anokye Adisi aka Bola Ray (CEO of EIB NETWORK), Kwesi Twum (CEO Multimedia Group Company), Kwabena Duffour (Founder of HODA), Osei Kwame Despite (CEO of Despite Group) , Kwame Safa Kyi (Broadcaster), just to name a few, inspires to youth to overcome challenges or obstacles in life.

Mentors create a sense of accountability for their mentees. When you have a great mentor, you’re motivated to work harder because you don’t want to let them down. Great mentors inspire us to become greater than we ever thought was possible.

Opportunities
If you hang around successful people for long enough, opportunities will start to appear.
Mentors love to see their mentees succeed. They feel a sense of pride & accomplishment contributing to their mentees’ success. Most of the time, they will do their best to help you succeed and this is when opportunities start appearing.

An opportunity can come in many forms, including offering you a job, becoming an investor, becoming a customer or introducing you to a business partner, just to name a few.

However, mentors won’t provide you with opportunities on day one, when they first take you under their wing. First, you have to build a strong relationship. You build that relationship over time by talking to them, learning from them and taking their advice.
“Ask for money and get advice, ask for advice and get money”

Source: emmanueldonkorgh.blogspot.com/Emmanuel Donkor