# 184

I appreciate how The Art of Mentoring image highlights the importance of starting “from where protégé is: not where you want [them] to be!” as well as the necessary attributes of a mentor within the partnership.

Often in the past mentors have been assigned based on their seniority/job title, rather than their belief in offering support and nurturing the next generation.

Of the various mentors (both officially and unofficially) I have had, my biggest takeaway - from those who saw mentorship as a burden with regular (yet inconvenient) slots on the calendar and associated paperwork whereby the focus was on the imparting of skills and knowledge in a top down fashion - was how not to mentor those to whom I would have the privilege. In contrast, I have learned the most and grown personally and professionally from mentorships whereby authenticity, respect and trust were at the core and where we were equal partners in the process. As a result, these respected former colleagues have become trusted friends not just of me, but of my family.

I appreciate how the five following quotes each speak to the qualities within the mentor and protégé relationship.