A Coach/Mentor is Vital to Success

Imagine you are an athlete.  The Olympics, a Superbowl Ring, The Stanley Cup, or a World-Series Championship are in your sights.  You workout every day.  You read all the books, do all the things, and watch all the YouTube videos on the subject.  You even attend seminars on how to achieve your goals and dreams.   You are doing everything YOU can do – but your success seems to be slipping out of sight. 

Then, you align yourself with a coach.  You assemble a team and you are no longer working towards your goals alone.  You work hard, they push you and challenge you, they hold you accountable and support you along the way.  Suddenly the dream is closer, the goal is in your grasp.  You reach out – you SCORE!  Success is achieved. 

I know what you are thinking, crazy analogy – of course athletes have a coach and a team.  That is just the way things are done in sports.  So why not in business?  Why don’t we have that same mindset about OUR goals and dreams?  Why do we only feel a need for a coach in the realm of athletics?

Sometimes, in some cases, a coach may be called a Mentor.  Regardless, a mentor or coach have ONE JOB…to guide, encourage and inspire us to find our way. 

Think of Yoda training Young Luke Skywalker.

Professor Dumbledore guiding Harry Potter.

Or even Nanny McPhee showing those precocious children a new/better way to behave.

Be it a coach or a mentor – they do the same things… just with a slight twist. 

Let’s take a look at what good coaches/mentors do:

1.  Push you outside your comfort zone.  Everyone gets stuck in a rut or gets complacent at times.  Coaches push us beyond that and challenge us to step forward to be our better selves.  They push you, they make us get uncomfortable, all in order to allow us to take it to the next level.
2. Personal attention from someone who really knows YOU.  One-on-one individual attention is when coaches can deep dive into you and your needs.  Where the next step is for you in your journey towards your goals.  This can’t happen at a team meeting, in a seminar or group setting.  This is face-to-face, let’s be real communication.
3. They have one goal – to make you the best that you can be and turn your dreams into reality.  They have an objective view of the goal and can evaluate the plans assess the pieces and implement strategies that sometimes you don’t see.
4. A great coach/mentor is not afraid to confront you and tell you when your doing something unproductive.  They will hold you accountable and provide the wisdom to take it to the next level.
5. They all talk to each other.  Yes, you heard me, coaches and mentors talk to other coaches and mentors.  What does that mean for you?  Your network expands, your opportunities expand, your reputation expands, your influence expands.  Good coaches are always looking out for the best interest of their ‘players’.
6. You leverage their experiences.  Look, the wheel was invented many years ago, don’t reinvent it.  Chances are they have either been-there-done-that or knew someone who was.  You can leverage that and not make the same mistakes.
7. Accountability.  We have mentioned this already, but it is so vital to overall success that it demands it’s own accord.  This one thing alone will make you more effective.  Underestimating accountability is like jumping out of a plane with an umbrella – it is not going to end well.

8. Great ones offer unbiased opinions – often!  How are they unbiased?  Well, they know YOU better than they know your business or industry.  Often people IN the industry are blinded to creative or out-f-the-box ideas and solutions.  They can take into consideration other factors to help solve issues.  They create “AHA moments”.

9. Trusted Confidant.  It is important to have a sounding board for your fears, concerns, worries and even bigger dreams than friends, family and peers.  You will face many challenges and without a sounding board many people hold it inside.  But we all need someone to talk to that won’t judge, or create drama around the subject. 

10. You WILL make more money.  Every one of them has a process, a strategy to success.  Vince Lombardi had the Execution Strategy (physical demands accompanied by spiritual and military discipline) and he won 5 Super Bowl rings. 

Just like in athletics, a coach or a mentor is not an option.  They are not a luxury or an expense for the future.  If you want tomorrow to look different than today, then step out of yourself and into the world of a good coach or mentor.  Be dedicated to implement their strategies and all your tomorrows will lead you to your goals.