Author Fred Manske Jr. Secrets of Effective Leadership nailed it when he said: “The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point they surpass him or her in knowledge or ability.”

There are several characteristics of an effective mentor.  First is Wisdom.  There is no substitution for experience.  Your past successes and failures are your bank account for an effective mentor.  Next is Empathy. Chances are you were mentored and can relate to the place the mentee is in.  This leads to the next characteristic of Patience.  Growing and developing people takes time.  If you are not willing to invest the time needed, you simply can’t be effective at mentoring.  The next is Highly-Skilled.  As the mentor, you are equipped and above average at the critical skills required,  you have had measurable success.  This will give you credibility which is very important.

The mentee asks: “Does my mentor have the experience?  Does my mentor have excellence?”