The Power Of Mentorship

In the world of google, bing and other search engines, we tend to neglect the power of mentorship. In the olden days, young girls were sent to live with their grandmothers, who taught them how to cook and keep a home. Young men were sent to learn a trade, what we call 'boy boy'. The idea was to have someone who is experienced to guide them. These days, we tend to do everything our way, simply google it or watch a youTube video and we are good.

A mentor is a friend or person who guides a less experienced person, by building trust and positive relationships. Mentorship is a relationship where a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The power of mentorship cannot be overemphasised, according to Forbes, it is  key to success for young professionals.

Growing up, we  acquired a set of core values from our parents, friends and other relations. A lot of people's fingerprints are all over us. These and many other factors have gone a long way in shaping our attitudes towards life and business. Growing up, my Dad always emphasised on entrepreneurship, he also wanted me to write. He kept on buying me Queen primer, dictionaries, I even got a Thesaurus when i was really young. These played a major part in shaping me.

When I first started blogging, it was mainly to share stories and write about random stuff, people who know my first blog would tell you about the crazy things I used to write. Don't bother yourself, you will never find it. When I stumbled upon Arese Ugwu's instagram (I know I'm obsessed), my perspective changed. I discovered I could make an impact doing what I love. I'm still writing, the difference is that I now write with purpose. That is the effect a mentor can have on you.

A lot of young people have in them potentials to be great, but their major stumbling block is that they do not have who to help them be all they can be. A mentor will give you insights, help you with the blind spots you couldn't see, make sure you build discipline you couldn't have on your own, in fact help you maximise your potentials generally.

Life and business are hard, and even the smallest measure of success requires the help of lots of mentors, family and friends. You cannot always do it by yourself. Everyone knows the small number of people who have made an impact on them,  whose ways they admire, those are your mentors.

Using myself as a case study, the power of mentorship to me is underrated. My encounter with Arese has been nothing but mind blowing. We actually do not have a personal relationship, just a few retweets on twitter, Instagram likes and one or two direct messages but honestly, i have felt the impact. I am inspired to do more each and everyday, with each new feat she conquers, I have hope that I can do it too. Through her, I have come across a couple of other really smart people who indirectly mentor me.

As a young person starting out in business or any career of your choice, do well to find yourself a couple of people who are experienced in that field. Do not be afraid to ask anyone to mentor you. Those people at the top are always willing to help, provided you are ready to learn. If you are not in direct contact with someone you admire, just try to keep up with them, one day you will be noticed.

If you go on the internet, you will find tips on finding the right mentor, but i believe you know what you want and you can find them yourself. Apart from my parents and few close relatives, I found most of the people I look up to on social media. Your Instagram shouldn't just be for looking at fine people and watching videos, your twitter shouldn't just be for 'jamming' people up and down. They can be used for productive activities too.

These are some of the accounts I follow;
@smartmoneyarese
+She Leads Africa
@foundr
@womeneur
+Business Babes
@forbesafrica
@heatherllove

and of course Tony Elumelu

May you find someone who would help you conquer the world. Amen

Adanna Elechi
@adee_elechi
Instagram and twitter
Facebook.com Adanna Elechi