Skip navigation
Mentoring 101
Book

Mentoring 101

What Every Leader Needs to Know

Thomas Nelson, 2008 more...

Buy book or audiobook


Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Speaker, pastor, prolific author and entrepreneur John C. Maxwell offers a practical, results-oriented manual on the rudiments of mentoring. This down-to-earth primer is specific and systematic. Seasoned mentors can benefit from Maxwell’s insights, and he gives new mentors a solid footing in the difficult but worthy task of helping up-and-coming professionals realize their full potential. Maxwell’s compelling anecdotes add humanity and humor. He provides step-by-step instructions for every phase of mentoring. getAbstract recommends his primer to all would-be mentors and to experienced mentors as a refresher.

Summary

Focusing on Other People

Mentoring does not come naturally to most executives. Most people’s orientation is toward seeking success, not toward helping others succeed. But helping others get ahead builds a leadership base in your organization and strengthens your team.   

Many people won’t serve as mentors for these reasons:

  1. Insecurity – Some executives fear that mentoring others will make someone else look good. The last thing they want is for others to shine.
  2. Ego – Some bosses care only about themselves.
  3. “Inability to discern people’s ‘success seeds’” – Many people don’t succeed because they can’t get in touch with the internal drive that inspires them. This includes the inability to see the success seeds others have but can’t access.
  4. “Wrong concept of success” – Success is reaching your full potential and helping others do the same. Some people believe success centers on money or status. They don’t see that it includes the fulfillment that can come from assisting others.
  5. “Lack of training” – Some people don’t mentor because...

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is a leadership expert, speaker, coach and author who has sold more than 19 million books. He is the founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company.


More on this topic