It has long been established that every forward thinking person with an unwavering thirst for success must have a mentor that will help him get to his desired future. Good mentors not only help shape our future; they also give us a pedestal to get the best out of life, business and other worthy pursuits.

While getting a mentor is great for success, you have to be really careful about who you choose to play the role of a mentor in your life. You have to be careful about who consistently speaks into your life. This is important because the tide of your life will flow in the direction of voice you always listen to, and the information you consistently receive.

Before choosing a mentor, you have to be discerning. You have to sit back and know which area of your life needs mentoring. A spiritual mentor is not the same as a business mentor. A voice coach is not same as writing or dancing coach. A yoga coach is not the same as a football coach. You also need to have good judgmental powers. Good judgemental powers keep you in check; they help you to know when you are being mentored in error.

Below are the three core characteristics to look out for when choosing a mentor

1. Strength of Character.

In life, as well as in business, character is a huge defining feature. Your mentor’s strength of character must be considered more important than his competence. And this character must also be greatly consistent with your own identity and purpose. Choosing a mentor whose strength of character is lower than his competence is a concocted recipe for a potential disaster.

Years back, I met a really good business consultant whose style and persona I admired. He was everything a young, hardworking and forward thinking man would love to become. He could break tough business concepts and ideas to shreds in split seconds. And his garage was cool. But the closer I got to him, the more I realized that our values and sense of purpose were not on the same level. I left.

Would I have made more money and gained more business consulting exposure with him? Sure. But my innate values would have taken a plunge. Since I didn’t want to jeopardize my future for small term benefits, I left. And that was one of the best decisions in my business life.

The character of your mentor is most important. Ignore this at your own peril.

2. Strength of Experience

Experience is what qualifies someone to be called a mentor. There is no mentor without years of experience in his pocket. The years of experience spent on learning, making mistakes and becoming successful is what gives credibility to his claims.

This doesn’t mean you have to be older than your mentor in order to be mentored effectively; it means your mentor is more experienced in the chosen field of endeavor.

3. Strength of Achievement

Your mentor must have attained in his field of endeavor. This attainment is the evidence of his experience in his area of competence.

Your mentor’s achievements are the defining manifestation that will speak for him when you mention his name. Don’t just choose a mentor based on the promise of value; choose a mentor based on the evidence of value he has created over time in different scenarios.

Subjecting your mentor to these three factors will save you from high levels of mentoring deceits and dishonesty. Understanding them will help you enjoy the many benefits of having a good mentor.

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