Limitations of a Mentor

Not everyone can lead others to water.  Understanding the limitation of some leaders is a very important skillset to develop.  When someone has worked at the same institution since they were a student employee, they may not be the best person to help other individuals think of a future beyond the current position held; or to put it more frank, escape the gravitational pull of an organization that is not a good place to work.

It can be conducive to one’s own success to steer clear of people that are eager to advise who… 

• 😣 have not completed a program of study or a professional service contract
• 😣 have not overcome reluctance to or fear of (i.e., presenting, writing, managing in a formal capacity, etc.)
• 😖 have not interviewed for and held a position that’s adequate for time served in a given field
• 😝 lacks awareness that their expertise may not further other individual’s aspirations

It can be assumed that most people have the understanding that they should refrain from providing guidance or counsel on topics they have no personal experience in, but some may not realize this also applies to general statements of advice like “what you should do is…” or “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

Good mentors know their limitations and will take a pass on giving advise related to subjects or situations that they have little to no experience with—good mentors also use their resources to fill in gaps.  A good mentor will never hesitate to connect their mentee with someone who has broader experience that the mentee could benefit from.

A mentor worth having knows and conveys to their mentee that one person cannot have all the answers and that sharing information, resources, and connections is the most important part of a mentor’s work.  No one sings on to a mentoring partnership to become a permanent mentee (or what could also be called a disciple).  No mentee expects to be limited to accomplishments that are less than their mentor, for the duration of the partnership.  Therefore no one should ever be held back by the limitations of someone because they are considered a mentor.