Thursday; November 16

The other day I was listening to a musician tell a story about another, older musician who had mentored him.  The young singer had grown up idolizing this entertainer, so when they got a chance to collaborate it was not only a memorable time, it was also an affirmation of the youngster’s development.  When the mentor shared the stage with the upstart it set the tone for future success.  There wasn’t a rivalry, there wasn’t a jealousy, there was leadership.
Are we helping younger people become the best they can be or are we afraid that the next generation will unseat us and take our place?  If there is one thing that age should teach us it is that the next wave of leaders is coming whether we like it or not.  Armed with this reality, what should we be doing – mentoring them through the wisdom we have learned or causing them to become embittered because we are placing barriers and landmines in their rise to the top?  Often we hear one generation criticize the next because they aren’t remembering history or learning from the past – could it be that, because we fear their competition, we aren’t teaching them the things that could benefit them?
Mentoring (leadership) can be found in businesses, churches, social organizations, community affairs – and so many others.  Are we passing on and passing down those things that have made us successful?  Are we helping them reach the next plateau of success?  Are we collaborating in ways that help us to achieve our potential and, by doing so, setting them up to outshine us?
If we genuinely care about what is important to us we want to leave it better than we found it.  One of the best ways we can do that is by leaving it in better hands than the ones we had when we first started.
Think About It!

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