In the soccer dramedy Ted Lasso, Director of Operations Leslie Higgins mused, “A good mentor hopes you will move on. A great mentor knows you will.”
Higgins could have easily been describing John Stewart mentoring John Oliver. For eight years, Oliver created and delivered comedic content alongside Stewart. Oliver won three Emmy Awards for his writing for The Daily Show, and when he guest-hosted for two months, audiences loved him. “The Daily Show was my dream job. It was an incredible experience.” When Stewart returned, he encouraged Oliver to consider an offer from HBO to launch his own show. “I hesitated. It was massively terrifying and incredibly intimidating to strike out on my own without Stewart protecting me. Comedy Central was my safe place.” But safe places don’t foster growth, and Stewart knew that. He saw what Oliver couldn’t – a comedy powerhouse. And that’s what great mentors do – they unearth potential. They nudge their mentees out of the proverbial nest, challenging them to see and experience more. Great mentors don’t abandon or discard their mentees. Instead, their relationships get redefined as their mentees pursue fresh paths and gutsy goals. No one can grow and stagnate at the same time. When I boarded the plane after law school to move to California for my first job, my mom – my first mentor – tucked a handwritten note into my bag. © 2024. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |