It’s said that if you want a great career, look for a boss, not a job. I’ve been blessed to have worked with brilliant mentors in recent years. Though none of them is perfect, all of them contributed to what I know now. I will only have my gratitude to offer them.
Here are some of those important lessons I learned from my mentors, both useful at work and in personal life:
Do one thing at a time.
This means you got to learn how to properly prioritize your tasks. Everyday is a cycle of work that’s left undone from yesterday and tasks assigned to us today. It’s not uncommon to hear some coworkers complain over workloads and new projects. Multitasking has also been a common practice. I feel blessed that I got to work with a boss who recognizes the value of time. He’s also one to meticulously screens the quality of work. When tasks stack up, he’ll often say, “Drop everything and work on the first item on your list. ‘Cause if you’re finally done with that, then you can stop thinking about it. And you can put your whole attention to the next item.”
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Do not fall in love easily.
“Sometimes, when we love something or someone, we’re content to let them be the way they are. It seems to us that they’re already perfect. But that’s loving blindly and that’s not helping them. Always challenge what you’re seeing right now. Identify what’s working. Ask what’s not working and how the change can be facilitated.” In effect, these statements best describe how branding/rebranding works. And to be working with such an excellent brand person is truly a great experience. These words ring true to our personal lives and a wide range of other industries as well.
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You can be good leader and a kind leader at the same time.
Though not in the exact words, Bob Davids said, “If you push people, deep inside, you wouldn’t know where they will go. But if you’ll show them how it’s done, then they’d follow you…And whenever you give power to your subordinates, that power comes back to you in the amount that’s always greater than what you’ve given away.” This sums up my experience with this particular mentor. She guided, encouraged and trusted me to do the things that I myself didn’t think I can do. Of course it wasn’t always perfect and there were times when I’ve been all over the place, but my mentor’s patience and generosity carried me through.
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Sincerity goes a long, long way.
When I thought people whose names are as good as VIP pass only exist in fiction, there’s actually this very cool guy who’s just that. Of course, it took him much time before he gained this advantage. He told me, “Initially people would only do business with you if they perceive you as the better deal, but that’s just the start. What you must do is to sustain that initial contact and continue to establish the relationship – be reliable, be trustworthy, genuine and concerned. It’s a tricky world out there and while you must do your job, you should also learn how to play it cool and enjoy yourself.” And yes, guys, he acts as he preaches.
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Dedication takes you places.
Most of our superiors have been in the company for at least three years. The amount of time that they’ve put into the job may be tracked, but the dedication that they’ve put in along those minutes is definitely immeasurable.
I’ve met a Manager who’s been with a 48-year old company for 32 years and another who chose to work during weekends to deliver reports on Monday.
I think people with this amount of dedication also has a great sense of accountability, not with just the output but with the people working under them. They are also usually the people who occupy the higher ranks. We always complain that we’re overworked or the tasks just keeps piling up. But not everyone in the higher rungs passes down the work, some of them shoulder the bulk of the load themselves. They may even have made greater sacrifices. These mentors taught me that I should be thoroughly responsible and dedicated to my tasks and that I can always give just a bit more to go the extra mile.
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You may also have other lessons from your mentors, feel free to share them in the comment section below!
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