Guiding our Youth – Are you Mentor Material?

Life skills have to be learnt and a good mentor acts as a transition in guiding youth from adolescence into adulthood, something that often gets left behind as school leavers move on with their lives. Whether a young teen is already confident and feels comfortable expressing himself / herself in front of others, or whether the young teen is more reserved and shy when it comes to expressing his / her ideas, an excellent mentor can truly make all the difference.

Below, we take a look at five of the most important characteristics of a great mentor who possesses the ability to elicit growth in any youngster who shows the potential to become a strong leader or a thriving entrepreneur.

• A great mentor is someone who has ‘been there and done that’, but who doesn’t automatically assume that another teenager’s journey is going to be exactly the same as theirs.
• A great mentor is someone who will take the time to really listen to the teen before advising on a course of action or helping to mould a plan for achieving success.
• A great mentor knows that a young leader or entrepreneur needs to be encouraged and praised, rather than criticised. He / she knows that there is no such thing as criticism – only guidance.
• A great mentor will be there when there are successes to celebrate and when challenges arise.
• A great mentor leads by example.

Being a mentor doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a degree in psychology. Simply in wanting – and making the time, to guide others you will find that the lessons you have learnt on your own life journey to bring you to the success that you are today, having a tolerance and respect of youth, being open minded and a good listener are all that’s really needed.

The good news is that, if you have a young teen of your own who does not have access to a mentor, as a parent, you can be their biggest supporter and take on this all-important role yourself. You can also take it one step further by investigating whether or not your child’s school has a young Entrepreneur’s Society. If not, with the help of the members at Teen Entrepreneur, you can remedy that by clicking here.

Together, we can work towards building stronger, wiser, more determined leaders of the future!