On the Importance of Mentors and Guides in Life

Since childhood I have worshipped personal freedom, and I lived under the illusion that I could be as independent and self-sufficient as humanly possible. And yet — though I’m content with the path I’ve walked — today I would give myself a different piece of advice.

Instead of facing every challenge alone, racking up a heap of unnecessary mistakes along the way, I would find an experienced and influential mentor and begin the journey under his wing. Maybe even a few such people.

You can call them teachers, mentors, coaches, bosses, managers, older comrades — they are a kind of “council of elders” in your life. From people like that you can learn, ask for advice and help, pick up skills and craft, widen your circle, and simply find examples worth following.

It’s worth stressing one thing: the true value of a mentor isn’t in their money but in the rare qualities that earned them a proven, real success. I once partnered with a man older than me who seemed to have money behind him — and, as it turned out, he hadn’t earned it himself. That partnership became the most toxic of my life.

The right mentors will help you:

— understand the “rules of the game” in different contexts;

— learn to read the political landscape;

— spot and head off manipulation;

— develop strategic thinking;

— pass on skills and spare you the basic mistakes;

— widen your “warm” social ties.

The best teachers are often extremely meticulous, strict, demanding people. Picture those movie scenes of grueling martial-arts training under some old master.

The process can feel like service — apprentice and master, vassal and liege — but this path has been tested by remarkable people across centuries of civilization. And the ages of the two people involved don’t matter in the slightest.

Do everything in your power to help your mentor climb the ladders of power, money and position! The higher and faster they rise, the more doors open for you too.

I regularly watch young people — already capable, already successful — step into serious positions precisely because of this approach. Who knows how many years it would have taken them on their own?

Of course, there are the rare stories of a meteoric rise, where someone happened to be in the right place at the right time and built a mega-product that fit society’s needs perfectly. But statistically that’s a tiny fraction, no matter how loudly the media inflate those stories.

At times the price we pay for an oversized ego and a craving for total self-reliance is simply slow growth.

There’s nothing shameful, when something isn’t working, in cooling your pride and asking for help — negotiating, earning the support of people who have reached higher ground in one field or another.

And please, don’t ever think of “stiffing” your mentor: everyone will hear about it, and the road ahead will close. And when you want to set off on your own — work that out with them.

It’s worth remembering that the point of mentorship isn’t to follow blindly, but to grow. Find your master, learn from him, surpass him, and become a master for others yourself. That’s an important mission in the natural cycle of the world’s development.

Here’s to all of us finding our great master! 😎