INTRODUCTION – STYRON POWERS

I asked my role model, Deborah Grubbe, to write this week’s blog. Deb and I worked together in the oil and gas industry. She was the Vice President of Safety for a company with over 100,000 employees and operations in over 100 countries. She made a difference in the lives of employees and the people in surrounding communities. I benefited from her coaching, counseling and observing her consistently WALK THE TALK.

IN HER OWN WORDS – DEBORAH GRUBBE

“Mentoring will not only enrich your career; it will enrich your life!   However, with anything in life, mentoring will only help you if you ALLOW your mentor to help you!   This means you have to have an open mind, and to be willing to hear things that may make you uncomfortable.  Why?  Simply put, a good mentor will tell you things about yourself that may not want to hear.   And after you hear it, then you will probably need to CHANGE how you think or how you act!   In the end, mentors are invaluable, but they cannot save you from yourself.  

Additionally, you have to be willing to put in the time.   My first real mentor would invite me to dinner every Friday evening at his home, and we would recap the week at work.   He was not my supervisor, so we could talk freely.   I learned that I was seeing work events and interactions through my own lenses and filters, and that the men that I was working with were seeing these events much differently than me.  I learned that I needed to have a broader perspective about what I was seeing.  To do this, I actually had to push myself to THINK DIFFERENTLY.   If I had assumed that everyone thought like I did, then I would have damaged some of my work relationships out of my own ignorance!   I was a woman working with all men, and if I could not “see” what was really going on, I would not have learned as much and my career progress would have been hampered.

Much of what I learned from that first mentor around male communication patterns has helped me immensely in my career and in my personal life!”

CONCLUSION – Styron Powers

“Until you manage your mind, DO NOT expect to manage your money.” — Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett believes strongly in mentors. The above gentlemen, Benjamin Graham, is Mr Buffett’s first and probably most important mentor. Mr. Graham’s book, “The Intelligent Investor” written decades ago, is still a recommended read for serious investors who plan/need to “manage their minds”. {Yes, I read it.}

A Good Mentor Is: Willing to share their skills, knowledge, lessons learned (good and bad) and expertise. Is willing to teach what he/she knows and accept where you currently are in your development.  Can help you avoid major errors in dealing with more senior people. Is someone you feel comfortable opening up to, asking for help and trust.

My career and personal life has benefited from working with strong mentors and role models.

Follow Warren Buffett’s advice, manage your mind, by finding your best mentors. Do NOT stop at a Linked-in connection. Build a trusting, long term, give and take relationship. Your mentors and role models DO NOT need to be the same sex, race or any other immaterial factor. Find the people you admire, who have the necessary skillsets and start engaging them.

When you identify potential great mentors, ask if they have the time and willingness to be your mentor. Remember – One day, sooner than you think, you will have the opportunity to volunteer to mentor others!

Warren Buffett mentors, a diverse number of people, including Bill Gates, Presidents of the United States, LeBron James and a host of others. ALWAYS GIVE BACK!

THANK YOU!

Deborah, thank-you for this week’s blog. I and so many others have benefited from your willingness to mentor and set an example. I look forward to learning much more!

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DISCLAIMER

I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger, with a NC State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.  

I started my first business at ~13 years of age. I am a successful investor in equities and real estate and happy to share my personal finance and investment lessons learned with you. However, I am NOT a licensed financial advisor.  Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog, as recommendations for your personal situation.  For individual finance advice please seek your own licensed CPA or financial advisors.