What do David Beckham, Sir Richard Branson, Eminem, Little Mix and Neo from Matrix all have in common? They all had a mentor.

Have you heard the saying “standing on the shoulders of giants” it is all about gaining an advantage and being able to see further because of being propped up by another and I believe mentoring provides this kind of advantage.

However, a caveat is needed here because the only thing that is worse than have no mentor is having a bad one! So proceed with caution in your selection process of finding one.

All said and done, in the new economy mentoring is going to be one of the most valuable levers so having a mentor is a game changer and below see 5 reasons why you much get one:

1. Leverage: You may have a great mind however you only think like yourself! So by having a mentor it is all about leveraging their thinking, insight and perspective plus objective view. This will add breadth, depth and different dimensions to your thinking so it is a great win / win.
2. Hindsight: I have summed up mentoring in this phrase from my book Every Child Needs a Mentor: “A mentor’s hindsight becomes a mentee’s foresight” Hindsight is expensive, painful and costly so it is priceless to have a mentor with greater experience who is willing to share their hindsight with you.
3. Accelerated Learning: Having a good mentor can dramatically increase the speed of your access to knowledge and results. So to be like the best, it is about learning from the best or most valuable information is rarely accessed in a classroom but from the experience on the field. By having a mentor who is specific to your field it can cut years off your run up!
4. Opportunity: As a mentor to many and also a trainer of mentors too, I am also a mentee too. One of the biggest things my mentors offer me besides their priceless jewels of knowledge is their willingness to introduce me to potential opportunities and contacts.
5. Perspective: There is something so invaluable from having a mentor as the saying goes “you can’t see the wood from the tree’s” the truth is sometimes I am too close to my own blindside or I am too emotionally invested or connected to my vision. My mentors cut to the chase and point me in the right direction – quickly!

I hope that the above has helped you; this is not a definitive list but will go some way to articulate the value of having a mentor.

If you have one, I know you will agree with many points and if you are yet to find one, look at what you are missing!

Happy Mentoring