Five Ways to Find a Mentor

This is a guest post by Daniel Darling. He is the Senior Pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and is the author of iFaith, Connecting with God in the 21st Century. You can read his blog or follow him on Twitter. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

The value of a mentor cannot be overestimated. A mentor is someone who is a few laps ahead of you in an area of life where you wish to find success. More than formal training, more than a book or a seminar, a good mentor brings his or her personal experience to bear on your life in a way that may shape it forever.

A Mentor Talking to His Mentee - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/asiseeit, Image #9854027

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/asiseeit

But how to find one? It’s actually easier than you think. Here are five ways to find a mentor:

Inside My Mentoring Group

I started my first mentoring group in January 2010 after being inspired by Regi Campbell, author of Mentor Like Jesus. His organization, Radical Mentoring, guided me through the process and enabled me to do something I had always dreamed of doing.

A Mentor Meeting with His Mentee - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/asiseeit, Image #9854027

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/asiseeit

Mentoring has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The first year went so well, I decided to do it again in 2011. We just wrapped up our second season. I am doing it again in 2012.

Take Your Organization to the Next Level

People with dreams are a dime a dozen. I meet them all the time. So do you. Some even start organizations. But few ever have the impact they initially hoped for. They just can’t seem to get their project to the next level.

Goldfish Jumping from a Small Bowl to a Large One - Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/mikdam, Image #5754119

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/mikdam

Enter Praxis, a new non-profit organization set up to help social entrepreneurs build high-impact organizations. What does the name mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, praxis is the practical application of a theory.

Leadership Question #1: Who Has Impacted Your Leadership the Most?

A while back, Michael Smith, Associate pastor of ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, Tennessee, interviewed me as part of a research project he was doing on leadership. I thought his questions were so powerful that I posted them on my blog under the title, “20 Questions to Ask Other Leaders.”

An Invitation to My Mentoring Group

I’m sorry but the application period for this group has now expired. If everything goes according to plan, I will launch a new group for 2012. Stay tuned.

Almost every week, I get a request from someone looking for a mentor. Frankly, I always find it difficult to say “no.” I think this is probably because I have profited so much from the various mentors I have had throughout my life and career. I also know how difficult it can be to find a good mentor.

Book Notes: Mentor Like Jesus by Regi Campbell

For the past several months, I have been thinking about starting a mentoring group. As a result, I have bought several books on the topic. However, the best one I have read so far is Mentor Like Jesus by Regi Campbell. In a moment, I will tell you how to get a free copy.

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