How important is it to have an army/military mentor?

2020-03-14T19:01:38-04:00

I was told once that having a mentor is very beneficial to advancing your career and growing as a soldier/nco. Should a mentor be something i should look for? What should i look for in one?

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Mar 14 at 2020 7:20 PM

2020-03-14T19:20:44-04:00

Mentors do exist, but they come in different forms. Some may be peers of similar rank, others may be superior in rank. Mentorship is not only from direct learning from others, but also from observation of behavior.

Good mentors should be competent, multi-faceted and balanced. Although people gravitate towards confident individuals, good mentors also have humility and not arrogance. Be open minded, but also trust your gut over whether another service member would be a good mentor.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Mar 14 at 2020 7:58 PM

2020-03-14T19:58:44-04:00

Big believer in mentorship. Big believer in paying I think forward and being a mentor for someone else.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2020 8:07 PM

2020-03-14T20:07:15-04:00

SSG Private RallyPoint Member I Agree with LTC Eugene Chu. When you observe others doing good things, you can copy their behavior.

Response by GySgt Gary Cordeiro made Mar 14 at 2020 11:22 PM

2020-03-14T23:22:10-04:00

True mentors will find you, they are like angels. They appear when you most need them. LISTEN and learn. They may be juniors or sometimes completely outside of your environment.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Mar 15 at 2020 8:38 AM

2020-03-15T08:38:51-04:00

Don't just choose one mentor. A junior and senior Officer plus a junior & senior NCO works best. Of course you need to tell them and talk to them.
I found that knowing young soldiers were observing me to learn helped me learn.

Response by SPC Ron Salsbury made Mar 15 at 2020 9:00 AM

2020-03-15T09:00:53-04:00

Best advice I ever received, was from my level five instructor at Ft. Rucker, his words to this day still play a very important role in my life. He said when you get to your new unit, sit down, shut up, listen, and observe; when you see a more experienced NCO or Officer going out to do a task, ask if you could go along and learn that task. It was the greatest lesson I have ever learned while being in the Army, I had the distinct pleasure to learn about helicopters from the best men who served in Vietnam, when they left, I was the Crew-chief the pilots would turn to, because I had old skill knowledge passed down to me even though I was not as experienced as a 20 plus year soldier. You are your own mentor, when you seek expert knowledge from others, they will inspire you to be your best when you put in the effort, and in turn you will then inspire those after you to continue the knowledge and training you yourself received.

Response by SGM (R) Antonio Brown made Mar 15 at 2020 10:01 AM

2020-03-15T10:01:08-04:00

A good mentor helps you to achieve balance in your life. My mentors showed me the error of my ways and once I changed, only then I acquired true happiness in my personal and professional life.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2020 6:52 PM

2020-03-15T18:52:03-04:00

There are many, many, many books, articles and research papers about the impact of mentors on professional development. Next to choosing the right spouse, no other relationship is closely correlated to a successful career and professional development.

How important is it? It's the difference between spending two decades finding out every wrong way to solve a problem and advance your career. You can absolutely be successful without a mentor, but with a mentor you can be setup for success and fast track your way to be the next SMA. Having a mentor is having someone who gives you all the answers to the test. Should you take that cool NATO assignment in Italy, or should you take a position as an RI instead? What are the benefits and pitfalls of either? Maybe you didn't know that AC/RC Gig in Puerto Rico that sounds amazing is actually a dead end where people go to retire. Maybe you didn't know that Fort Benning assignment or Old Guard assignment was a great place to get schools. Maybe your mentor knows the CSM in Korea where you are going and can help you get pulled into the NCOA as an instructor.

You should always be looking for a mentor, and multiple mentors. A mentorship is a personal relationship where both parties benefit. You receive decades worth of knowledge, experience, and contacts. Your mentor sees something in you worth shaping and gets the rewarding sensation of helping mold a future leader with great potential. Like the great sculptor Michaelangelo who said didn't create art, he just freed the piece that he could see inside of it.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2020 7:41 PM

2020-03-15T19:41:44-04:00

A good mentor can further your career. I know for me it helps me a lot!!!!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 15 at 2020 10:22 PM

2020-03-15T22:22:40-04:00

An ideal mentor for me is a deep thinker who cant paint the picture and give sound advice. He/she has the power to help you sometimes and dusts you off when you fall.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 16 at 2020 5:31 PM

2020-03-16T17:31:37-04:00

I had a mentor and he was a Chief. He only reemed me out as needed. He was a great Chief.

Response by 1SG Bill Farmerie made Mar 28 at 2022 4:06 PM

2022-03-28T16:06:20-04:00

I had many mentors, although I didn't realize it at the time. There were some different NCOs, that I truly respected and liked the way they did business. I would pick their brains as time allowed. I received much guidance from them which I used through my entire career and still use now after the military.