A good mentor is humble, full stop

Recently, I wrote that the power of mentoring comes from the intrinsic motivation of our mentors to help people.

Another element in the mentoring mindset that is very important is humility.

That is why we have included this in our 5 Ambits Values. In the selection process, we assess this extensively. This is the point where most candidate-mentors fail.

• He remains modest about his achievements
• She does not position herself as more than the mentee
• He walks along with the mentee
• She does not pretend to know it all despite her track record
• He can admit his mistakes
• She knows she is not perfect
• He is aware of his shortcomings
• She is not arrogant
• He is not driven by ego
• She is courteously respectful toward her mentee.

• First, listening, then talking
• Active listening; being fully present during a mentoring session
• Not bragging
• Not preaching
• Seeking feedback from the mentee
• Asking for help himself if needed (e.g., from another Ambits Mentor)
• Acknowledging the mentees’ strengths
• Complementing the mentees’ progress
• Not taking all the credit for the mentees’ progress
• Investing in learning & development
  

Humility is translated into a golden rule within the Ambits community that every mentor gets the same fee for a mentoring assignment.