[Flash] It’s OK Not to Be a Mentor (Even If I Want You To)

His statement sparked a thunderstorm! NFL mentors rushed out of every corner to declare their commitment to mentoring others:

• Marcus Mariota, quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, said, “I have no ego. If the team drafts someone else, I’ll give as much advice and knowledge as I can.“
• Eagle center Jason Kelce said, “The way you make a lasting impact as a player and as a person is how you influence other people and hopefully help others realize their dreams. That’s a big part of being a veteran player. I’d like to be part of something that lasts longer. I don’t want to just leave behind statistics and cool highlight blocks.”
• Retired quarterback Kurt Warner, “I will never understand the ‘I’m not here to mentor the next guy’ mentality… so for all you young QBs that need a mentor, DM me, and I’ll be that guy, happy to help in any way I can!”

While we all need people on our team like Mariota, Kelce, and Warner, we also need to identify people like Tannehill – not to castigate their approach but to welcome their honesty. 

Not everyone likes to mentor. Not everyone considers it essential to share their wisdom, especially with their future replacements. And not everyone is on a mission to support other people’s success. And that’s OK.

But if we guilt or shame these people into mentoring, we will invariably end up with a gaggle of mentors who don’t want to mentor. And that ruins the journey for both parties – the displeased mentors and the unfortunate mentees.

Instead, let’s create mentoring structures that attract, encourage, support, and acknowledge those who value mentoring others without punishing those who don’t.

Mentoring is a gratifying, leadership strengthening experience… but only for those who believe it is. Find them. Foster their potential to make a difference, and your rookies will be well cared for.

© 2022. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.