Building a Legacy of Values: The Power of Mentorship and Genuine Concern
Generations after generations of American men and women, young boys and girls have given special meaning one way or another to our lives. They have done great things in their own personal lives. Their reputation was gained and is maintained by a guiding set of values from their church, schools, and family. These values form the foundation of each and everyone of their character. These values continue to be the guiding beliefs and principles that give them strength, influence their attributes and regulates their behavior in society.
Before we can attach ourselves to their lives through this training, we must all look within ourselves to set the example in the values we have gained in our upbringing. (I propose we adopt the following virtues as the values of this organization).
Whether it be Fidelity and the faithfulness and commitment to religion, country, family, institution or just another human being.
Whether it be Integrity where ethical choices must be made in all times of our lives.
Whether it be Character where we are all widely recognized for our moral excellence, selfless “moral” courage, committed principles and sound judgments.
Whether it be Courage knowing that something else is more important than the fear which confronts us.
Whether it be Excellence in everything we do.
Whether it be Trust where others feel closer to us than any friends had been or ever would be.
Whether it be Self-Control that require patience, self-understanding and willing deference to others and the greater good.
(FICCETS) These are just a few of the many virtues I believe we must emulate 24/7/356 to be a part of this team that will influence our trainees for a life time.
I propose that every training session have a character “Tie-In” before and after each session of training. A “Tie-In” is a simple story that re-calibrates our moral compass and at the same time gets the message out to help others feel good about themselves, especially when they are challenged. These stories will help us become a mentor to our trainees so that they look forward to our training and mentorship. I say that only because our society needs good mentors more today than ever before. Our world can put a lot of stress, pressure and undue challenges in our lives. Having a place where someone can come to for relief of those challenges through training will be the end-state of telling these stories that will re-calibrate all of our moral compasses.
The very best Leaders I have come across in my life are those who truly understand that a big part of Leadership is Mentorship. A term widely recognized as an extremely beneficial career development tool, regardless of profession, gender or age. or martial art!
Studies have shown that having a Mentor is a top factor affecting a person’s success, career satisfaction, their happiness in life, and whether they stay with a goal or not.
So, what is a Mentor? Like Leadership, there are a lot of definitions for being a Mentor:
-an experienced advisor and supporter;
-a trainer;
-a counselor, tutor, teacher, coach.
Life is about relationships and if We, as Mentors, can wrap ourselves around the great people that will come to training then this program can truly be great. It’s not about techniques. But it will take work on all our parts. To be a great Leader/Mentor, there is no lesson binder. No course of instruction. Bottom-line, you have to be committed to your protégé/trainee, again, 24/7/365, which translate to 100% of the time. The key is your commitment.
Lastly, tied to Mentorship, my experience has taught me that you will fail if you don’t show Genuine Concern for that protégé/trainee you will train. The key to the success of a Leader/Mentor on this team is Genuine Concern. The greatest people in my life have been those who showed Genuine Concern for my life. Those people weren’t the ones with the most credentials, the most money or awards, they were average “Joe’s” who cared! They will be each and everyone of us on this team of professionals.
Written By: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Shusco