As you already know, the internet is chock-full of advice on how to boost your career success. While most of these are helpful (I’ve written quite a few myself), they seem to largely focus on how to find success by yourself. But what about finding success through others? Isn’t that equally, if not more, important?
That’s where mentorship comes into play. Finding the right network of people to elevate your success while lifting them up in return can bring your career to a whole new level.
How Mentors Can Make You More Successful
We’ve all heard the statistics before. In many leadership positions, women are a rarity. For instance, only 23 of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Women hold only 15% of executive positions and just 17% of board seats.
As someone who worked on Wall Street for a decade, I can attest that it can feel like you’re the first person to walk on the moon without other women to guide, inspire, and push you. In these cases, the positive influence of a mentor is invaluable. It’s a gift that allows people to pay it forward, and those of us who have established success want to help others do the same. Don’t just take my word for it: Catalyst studies found that having a mentor not only resulted in higher compensation for women but propelled them into leadership roles.
Here are four ways to successfully find (and keep) a mentor:
Just Ask
Sometimes it can be hard to break the ice and take that first step toward forming a relationship with a mentor, but don’t be afraid to reach out.
People are often genuinely happy to help you navigate the twists and turns as you develop in your career. After all, they’ve been there. But in today’s busy world, you can’t expect them to seek you out.
Read more at www.businesscollective.com…
Elle Kaplan is the visionary CEO and Founding Partner of LexION Capital Management, a wealth-management firm.
BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.