This is the first of three posts discussing “The Mentor Leader – Secrets To Building People And Teams That Win Consistently” by Tony Dungy.  I will admit, I have been a fan of Coach Dungy since long before his first book “Quiet Strength” was published.  I have been so impressed not by what Coach Dungy has done but by who he is, and more importantly how he has impacted so many lives around him.

His third book, The Mentor Leader, unlocks the concept of leadership much more than Quiet Strength or his second book, Uncommon, had done previously.  Make no mistake, they are all worth the read, but The Mentor Leader brings it all home.

The subtitle, secrets to building people and teams that win consistently. says it all. Mentor Leadership is about building people and when you do that, success is sure to follow.

I will break the book’s nine chapters into three posts.  The first will discuss the Mandate, Mind-set and Maturity of a mentor leader.  The second will cover the Marks, Moments and Model of a mentor leader and the final will address the Means, Methods and Measure or a mentor leader.

THE MANDATE OF A MENTOR LEADER

“Mentor Leaders understand that if we lose sight of people, we lose sight of the very purpose of leadership.”

• Mentor Leaders put people first.
• Mentor Leaders strive for significance in life.
• Mentor Leaders keep an eternal perspective.

John Maxwell recently said that ‘Once you get a taste of significance, you will never settle for success.”  Mentor Leaders understand this concept and base their leadership style on making a name for others and not themselves.

THE MIND-SET OF A MENTOR LEADER

“A well-cast vision is one that can be commonly shared by all members of the team.”

• The focus of a Mentor Leader is on the other person.
• Mentor Leaders maximize the present while envisioning the future.
• Mentor Leaders focus on Vision, Mission and Values.
• Mentor Leaders understand it’s all about serving.

The mind-set of a mentor leader is on the big picture.  Having clear vision on your mission will require a firm hold on your value system.  Strong values will empower a leader to creates strong people.  People are who make the difference.

THE MATURITY OF A MENTOR LEADER

“Your past has helped to set a course for what motivates, directs, and drives you, or what holds you back.”

• Mentor leaders deal with the past learning from the experiences.
• Mentor leaders forgive to allow freedom from the things that hold us back.
• Mentor Leaders motivate, prioritize and balance.
• Mentor Leaders focus on strengths

Mentor Leaders are not created overnight.  They understand where they are.  They understand how their previous decisions have impacted their current condition and they have a clear picture on where they want to go.  They are able to utilize all the resources they have and their life experiences to mentor others along the way.

No question today, but a challenge instead.  Find someone to mentor you and find someone you can mentor.  A life can be changed and it might just be yours!

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Barry Smith    7/3/13   photo by amazon   © Building What Matters 2013