What do you look for in a mentor or a role model?  Can you answer that question quickly and easily?

For me, there are many things to consider, and there are a lot of people that I have on my rather long list or mentors or role models. I think one of the most important questions to ask is who do you want to be like? Certainly you want someone who is successful. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, so you will naturally look for mentors that meet that criteria to model. If they have a special talent that you want to learn, this is also important when choosing a mentor.

But I think that there is something else that is very important to consider, and that is character. Does this person have the character that you admire? Would you be proud to introduce this person to your family, trusted circle of friends, or your business associates?

I want to be able to look up to my mentor or role model, but I also want to be sure that we share the same values. At the end of the day, I want to be proud to be associated with this person.

I would like to share a quote from one of my mentors, Mark Victor Hansen. Mark says “You control your future; your destiny. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own.”  In other words, it is up to you to choose the person you want to become.