Do you know the people who look up to you?
Mentoring and leadership development have become buzzwords. They seem to insinuate a formal process including readings and focused discussions. For many of us, we like the idea of these two words, but we question our ability actually to influence an individual in a significant way.
What if we started at a more basic invitation? You may lead a high power position in your organization. You may regularly volunteer in an area at a church or a non-profit. Wherever you lead, serve, or volunteer, you can invite a person to come with you. In many cases, you might be surprised at them saying yes to go with you.
Throughout high school and college, I had remarkable leaders who brought me places. I think of Pastor Piedmont, retired pastor, who took me on hospital and home visits. When I worked in a college admissions office, Bill Chenco, my boss, looked for ways to invite me to meetings and conferences. I think of people like Dan Schmidt, Dan Williams, and Brandon Samuel who took me to meetings with prominent leaders and gave me the opportunity to observe.
These opportunities provided space for discussions before and after. We debriefed about the opportunity. I felt valued by getting invited.
No matter what role you have, consider who you can bring with you. These invitations may mean more to the person you ask than you can imagine. Rather than talking about mentoring and leadership development, you can model it.
Who can you bring with you today? You may never how you will help them become who God has called them to become.
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