How to Get a Mentor Like a Boss

When you want to succeed in business, what does everybody tell you to do?

Get a mentor.

Or, as my Dad used to put it, “figure out what you want to do; find someone doing it well; ask ‘em how they did it; do that!”

(Clarity is one of my father’s many gifts.)

But HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW do you get a mentor?

I’ve been part of associations and organizations and amalgamations – all trying to help solve this problem.

And it’s a real one, folks. How do you pick someone to help guide your path? And how do you get their attention?

A 2019 study by Olivet Nazarene University revealed that only 37% of U.S. employees have mentors, while a 2006 Gartner study published via Wharton School of Business says workers with mentors are five times more likely to be promoted.

And having a mentor isn’t just for young executives trying to get ahead. 71% of CEOs with mentors reported better business performance as a direct result, according to a 2015 study by Peiperl and de Janasz.

So – we all need mentors, right?

Right.

There are a lot of great online resources on where to look – from company programs to business networks to friends. (see a few links in comments below.)

But no matter where you look - the most important way to get a mentor, is to ASK.

And that requires #EffectiveCommunications. (Of course it does!)

So – I have a story for you below with a downloadable template at the end. That’s my mentoring gift to you. Hope you enjoy – cheers to more mentoring as 2023 continues.

The Story: 5-4-3-2-Mentor!

I found my mentor on the cover of an industry magazine. For real. I was at the office late one night and picked up an issue of Real Assets Adviser - a publication focused on the real asset investment space. Smiling on the cover was Mr. Fielding Miller – a complete stranger, positioned under a headline that read “Buying in a Down Market.”

It was April of 2019, and at the time, all the #CommercialRealEstate experts were signaling an upcoming correction. I thought to myself: I’ve just acquired this company. I’d better read this.

I’m so glad I did.

Beautifully written by the incredibly talented #MikeConsol, the article gave me insights into Mr. Miller’s leadership style; into the ‘how’ behind his company’s deepest successes. I was moved, and I saved the magazine in a pile of materials.

Cut to 2020. Remember 2020? Yea, me too.

So we’re there, and I’m in a panic. How in the world do I lead this company correctly? What knowledge do I need that I don’t have?

My Dad (ever the business muse) mails me a book by #MelRobbins. She says when you need to do something, count backwards: 5-4-3-2-1…then DO IT.

I wanted to understand how to lead at the highest level. I re-read everything I had found useful, and my hands reached that Real Assets Advisor article.

The communicator in me knew what to do.

I opened a blank Word document and wrote “Dear Mr. Miller.”

A well-crafted one-page letter is akin to a magic wand in its power.

I wrote it, printed it on company letterhead, and mailed it. #SnailMail. Then I waited.

Agony.

But the response came. An email – yes, I’ll grant you a Zoom. We had a conversation. And the rest is tied into the continued journey of my ever-expanding company.

Mr. Miller’s example is one of pure business leadership. This man took a team of 13 and expanded it to an organization of 1,400 across 82 offices that has been named largest registered investment advisor (RIA) in America for seven years running. Please read about him here.

During our mentorship, three insights float to the top. They are:

• Don’t placate people. Put your business first. Nurture it, and it will grow.
• You can’t always be in balance if you’re going to grow an exceptional company. Learn to prioritize those you love and find moments between the grind.
• Build yourself first. Mr. Miller referred me to Bell Leadership Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Studying with them has been one of the best decisions of my life.

I am grateful for this advice, and for the continued mentorship of Mr. Fielding Miller.

Looking for a Mr. Miller of your own? Hopefully my example letter can be of assistance in your journey.

With it, a few tips:

• If you’re not using company letterhead, make your own. It makes you more official, and it’s easy to do using Word letterhead templates.
• Print it on good paper
• Hand-write on the envelope: Personal and Confidential
• When you get a yes, write down specific questions before the meeting. This makes time spent as productive as possible on both sides.

Wishing you great success in your mentor journey!