I recently attended a lecture given by a man who many magicians consider to be one of the best card magicians in the world. Lectures in the magic world usually mean that an expert magician comes to town and then performs effects, explains how they are done, and demonstrates techniques needed to perform the effect. After the lecture, the magicians in the audience can purchase lecture notes or props needed to perform the effects.
However, on this night the master card magician spent much of his lecture explaining the impact that a great mentor had had in his magic upbringing. He honored the teacher by sharing his mentor’s work with us—a bit of a tribute. The card magician went from a young boy shining shoes to helping to support his family, to a man who has made a good living entertaining at corporate events throughout the world. If it weren’t for his mentor, the card magician acknowledged that he would not have been successful. It took years of teaching and critiquing by his mentor to learn his craft.
In our own careers it is very important to have good mentors and acknowledge the profound contribution they have made to our careers and our lives. Most of us enter the workforce right out of high school or college and really have little idea how to apply this knowledge to the workplace. Enter mentors.
In my business career, I’ve had the good fortune of having great mentors who have taught me how to do my job, and who have taught me other business concepts outside of my direct duties. The great ones also taught me how to become a leader; they pushed me to become the best at a given position, showed me how to treat people with dignity and respect, and demonstrated these qualities themselves. These are things that cannot be taught in the classroom, in a book, at a seminar, or on an Internet training course. They must be demonstrated day by day over years of good guidance, training, and critique.
In magic, I have two mentors who help me to become better. One focuses on helping me to become a better magician and performer, or as I like to say, “He helps me make my product better.” The other helps me to develop my business by teaching me how to run it, pushing me to “get something accomplished” each week, and providing constructive critique. Accountability is key, as is the push for excellence.
For those of us who are advanced in our career, are we now willing to spend time and effort mentoring younger employees? Who are your mentors, and how do they continue to help you develop? Have you acknowledged the impact that they have had on your life?
