Date Archives January 2021

When the next step is not clear, you actually do not need people with answers, because they may have answers to irrelevant questions. You probably do not know what your core questions are. Instead, you need good sounding boards who can help you brainstorm a list of questions that potentially will be edited down to your core questions that you need to ask to prepare for the next steps.

January is National Mentoring Month. Over the next 30 days, I will write very short essays about mentors and mentoring.

“Leadership” is simple yet complex — it is about putting others before yourself, establishing and promoting trust and loyalty, and being a lifelong learner, because no one does it alone. It is a 24–7 type of dedication — it does not mean that you cannot enjoy life outside the office but life is better when you work at something that you are passionate about.

And, it is easier to put down words on paper about “leadership” than to actually practice and improve every day. But you have to — it’s like brushing and flossing your teeth.

You need to do it everyday.

What is a “mentor”? The 1913 version of Webster’s Dictionary defines a mentor as a “wise and faithful counselor or monitor.” But actually it depends on what you are seeking – answers? perspective? peer? aspirational? comfort?

What is a mentor? Even your dog can be your mentor – enter Athena, mentor to Jenny Kim. She taught me about the value of identifying and interpreting nonverbal communication.