The Cheat Code Called Mentorship
I’ve been thinking a lot about mentorship lately—how it’s woven itself into my life and work over the past few weeks.
The other day, I was lamenting to a friend about where I thought I’d be by now. I couldn’t help but wonder how different things might’ve been if I’d had the right mentorship and support early on. I’m the “you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be” type, but even still, there’s a part of me that looks back with some frustration. Missed chances, untapped potential, moments where I felt like my talent wasn’t nurtured.
Now, I’m standing at the edge of something new—a personal board of mentors1, a mix of people I know in real life and those I follow from afar (people I like emulate), shaping who I’m becoming as both a designer and a person.
Mentorship has taken on different forms these days: fitness trainers, managers, coworkers, coaches. All of them play a part in guiding me to where I want to be.
Mentor, Hero, Sponsor, Coach
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” — Bob Proctor.
Each has their own lane, but there’s some overlap too.
I love Seth Godin’s take on mentors from his essay Mentors vs. Heroes: Mentors are those who offer tailored advice, taking a personal interest in you. It’s rare and invaluable, like having someone handcraft your growth. Heroes, on the other hand, are out there living their lives for the world to see, and you get to observe, learn, and be inspired.
With that definition in mind, I realize some of my mentors are also heroes—people like authors, influencers, and leaders whose work I admire. But then there are sponsors, a term I first really understood when Dr. Shirley Davis explained it in one of her courses.
A mentor might say, “Reach out if you need anything,” but a sponsor? They say, “I’m really big on you. I will endorse you. I’ll vouch for you.”
And coaches—they cut right to the chase. “What are your goals right now? What excites you most?” They help you get clear on what goals matter to you right now and are firm in helping you achieve them. Coaches typically have a set period of working with you on a set goal.
Of course, the lines blur. Sometimes your mentor is also a coach or a sponsor. But each one has a role to play in your growth.
Speed vs Direction
Recently, during my first session with a brand coach, I found myself hesitating. I told him how I felt like I should’ve been able to do all this on my own—probably my ego talking. There were tasks I’d been putting off, and I just felt if I pushed through on my own I could skip needing a coach.
“I think I just need to focus and get the work out there,” I said.
He paused and then asked, “Working harder and moving faster always sounds good until you realize you’ve been going in the wrong direction the whole time. Then what?”
That question hit me. He had a point I couldn’t ignore.
Your direction is more important than your speed. – Richard L. Evans
That sense of being “further along” I’d been wrestling with? It was part of the reason I felt like I needed to rush. I wanted the validation of progress (whatever that meant). But I was so laser-focused on one outcome that I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture nor all the other possibilities that fall outside of that outcome.
Accepting a longer timeline takes patience, but more than that, it takes a commitment to yourself. It’s trusting no matter how long it takes to get there, you know that you’re heading in the right direction.
That’s where mentorship really comes in. Having a mentor is like tending a garden with someone more experienced by your side. You plant the seeds, you do the work, but your mentor knows when to prune, how to enrich the soil, what to nurture and what to let go. They don’t do it for you, but they guide you, so your garden grows stronger and your skills and confidence shines through.
As I write this, I’m about to head into week two with my coach, a 1-on-1 with my design manager, and upcoming podcast episodes from one of my heroes. I’ve also got sessions lined up with some coworkers who are where I want to be in the near future.
There’s a lot more I could say about the mentor-mentee relationship, but I think I’ll leave some of it for another time.
Extras:
There’s something about listening to the Succession soundtrack whilst working.
If you love a good deck presentation, Pitch is like presentations on steroids
Adobe Max kicks off online this week
A term I picked up from the beautiful Jodie Taylor.