Your mentor doesn't need to look like you. Read on for three examples.

1. If You Don’t See It,
You Can Still Be It!

2. It’s been said that prospective
mentees are looking for mentors with
whom they can relate on matters such
as age, culture, ethnicity, or gender.

3. Said another way, if mentees don’t see
a prospective mentor that looks like
them in some way, they won’t be able
to visualize themselves in that role.

4. Actual
experience,
however, teaches
us differently.
Consider the
following 3 real
world examples:

5. 1. Condoleeza Rice, the first
female African-American
Secretary of State

6. Her first mentor was Josef Korbel, a Soviet specialist
and professor of International Politics at Denver
University. A subsequent mentor was Brent
Scowcroft, the U.S. National Security Advisor under
Presidents Ford and Bush. At Scowcroft's invitation,
Rice served on the U.S. National Security Council as
a Soviet expert.
Later President Bush asked Rice to serve in his
cabinet as Secretary of State.

7. 2. Matthew Towles, Assistant
Professor of English, Liberty
University and contributor to
The Atlantic

8. Quoting from Towles: “…aside from a very few brief
instances, I have rarely had male professional
mentors. Whether it's a reflection of my chosen
career path or my generation, I'm not certain, but
my professional mentors have nearly all been
women. From my undergraduate advisor, to my
master's thesis chair, to my dissertation chair, to
my current job, my professional mentoring
relationships have all been guided by women.”

9. 3. Nikki Haley (Nimratta Nikki
Randhawa Haley), the first
female governor of South
Carolina, and the second U.S.
Indian-American governor.

10. Haley is perhaps best known for her recent
service as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Haley
herself sought out a mentor for the new-to-her
duties as U.N. Ambassador. She chose Henry
Kissinger, considered by many to be among the
most effective Secretaries of State in the post-
Lyndon Johnson era. Haley met with Kissinger
on a regular basis during her time at the U.N.

11. In each of these 3 examples, the successful mentor/mentee
relationship was built on mentors who were competent,
involved and generous in sharing their insights and
expertise for the benefit of their mentee and for the larger
objectives both mentor and mentee sought to achieve.

12. MICHAEL TOWLES QUOTES SOURCED AT:
FOR MORE RELATED TO MENTORS,
MENTORING AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT IN
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