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In his latest book, entrepreneurship coach Dan Sullivan introduces the concept, “who, not how.”
As Sullivan explains, since childhood, we have been trained to focus on how something will get accomplished. From school assignments to project plans to yearly goal-setting to work deadlines, we become obsessed with How we will execute and deliver a result. What we are not trained to do is partner with Whos – people who can help us with the Hows. Reflecting on my career as a corporate attorney, this resonated with me. My days were consumed with drafting and delivering contracts by set deadlines. As projects poured in and billable-hour expectations grew, I was gripped by how much I could accomplish, limited only by the number of hours I could stay awake! I then dragged this same approach into my entrepreneurial career, determined to single-handedly and simultaneously launch two businesses. But my desperate need for Whos revealed itself early – my lack of skills in many areas (like event planning and programming) was going to be the death knell of my business adventures! So, I found Whos. But curating people is not the same as engaging them. My Whos did not know my Why, Where, or When. I needed to articular my vision, so they knew how to help. The same applies to one of our most important Whos: our Mentors. Communicating a vision to a Mentor allows this Who to effectively contribute to our How. In his book Who Not How, Sullivan states, “The ‘right’ Who is always ready and waiting. All you need to do is express your vision clearly.” At the beginning of any mentoring relationship, use the following questions to crystallize your vision and clarify your Why, Where, and When:
One of the biggest challenges that Mentees face when working with a Mentor is articulating a clear, compelling direction. Inspire your Mentor with a picture of tomorrow, so they know how to make a difference today! © 2025. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |