When I joined the Navy, I didn’t know the power of a mentor, but I was hungry. The fire burning inside me to be the best warrior I could be drove me, and I was blessed to find great mentors early, catapulting my career and accelerating my advancement.
Mentorship programs are prevalent in the Navy, and leaders encourage—sometimes force—sailors to pick someone, usually outside the chain of command, as a mentor. But mentors are a great tool for everyone, not just junior service members, and there are several ways to get the most from them.
Pick at Least Two
One mentor should be “similar” to you, for lack of a better term. This will help you connect with that person and relate more easily to his or her advice. The other mentor should “differ” from you and be one who doesn’t sugarcoat it. This will keep you honest and give you a different perspective. Just remember that both should be people who are successful and whom you want to emulate.
In my younger days, I was constantly being corrected by a senior chief. “Why are your cuffs tucked in and not buttoned?” “Your boots could use a fresh coat of polish.” And his favorite: “Take your hands out of your pockets, HM2.” I finally mustered the courage to ask him to be my mentor, and to my surprise, he agreed. From then on, instead of pouting when he called me out, I corrected my actions and did something to better myself. As a result, I now have a great system for how and what I keep in my “love me binder,” which has come in handy numerous times.
Further back, in my even younger days, one of my first mentors in the fleet was my senior enlisted leader, now a master chief. I never formally asked him to be my mentor, but he took me under his wing. His first advice to me was to read two instructions—the advancement manual and the evaluation manual—as they would help me take control of my naval career. Listening to him helped me plan my career and understand the path to success.
Read
Through reading, you can broaden your horizons and find advice from successful leaders you otherwise would be unable to meet. Influential leaders and effective entrepreneurs have taken the time to capture and share the tools they used to be successful, so why not learn from them? Other books explain why and how things such as motivation, emotional intelligence, and social skills work.
Do Your Part
This one can be challenging, depending on the operational tempo of the command. Regular meetings are a must—to give progress reports and obtain new lessons and tools. I shoot for monthly or quarterly meetings with my mentors or mentees.
Ask, Even if It’s Hard
Finding the courage to ask someone superior to you or someone you hold in high esteem to be your mentor can be challenging. Just know that for the person you are asking, it is a humbling experience, and they are likely to welcome you with open arms.
My final thoughts are simple. Mentors have advice and lessons they might have paid a price for, with a career dampening mistake, time away from family, or money lost, etc. You can acquire those tools for your own toolbox for free, so why not take advantage of that?
A retired Vietnam-era SEAL master chief once told me there is no such thing as a bad leader. You can learn from every leader, either what to do or what not to do, which can be just as valuable. I want to end with a big thank-you to all of my mentors and mentees. I’ve learned from both equally, and they have helped me grow to be the sailor I am today.