If you think you have achieved a level of success but there is no one to take over from you and no one that you have groomed enough to replicate the same success, then your success is questionable. If you do not have a successor, then you have truly not achieved success. When great people share their knowledge, information, skills, etc, with others, they are simply replicating themselves in others. Imagine if all the great inventions went down with their inventors without relating the knowledge with others, the world would have been a very weird place. A great success is the one that outlives the person that achieves it.
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In this part of the world, especially among the Igbo tribe of the Southeastern part of Nigeria, there is a very recognized mentorship program that has helped a lot of businesses to achieve success. This is how it operates. A young apprentice will apply to a master in a trade which he desires to come and work with him and learn from how he succeeds at the trade. When the master approves of it, he will become his apprentice and learn the nitty-gritty of the trade, which normally spans for a period of years. Within these years, he will also gain extensive knowledge about what it takes to specialise in the business.
Upon completion of the stipulated number of agreed years, the master will "settle" the apprentice and he will go and start up his own business with the knowledge he had gained while working for his master. This particular program is so successful that it has raised many successful business people in the Southeastern part of Nigeria. As a matter of fact, there was a time it was said that more billionaires have been raised from that mentor-apprentice program than by the educational system in the country. This shows the power of mentorship and passing your knowledge to others. Trust me, no matter what you think you have, if no one is benefiting from it, then it is not relevant.
In your circle or your neighbourhood, if you are the only one that is successful, then you need to ask yourself series of honest questions. The reason why you have succeeded is to help others to succeed too. Your blessings are not to be consumed on your needs alone, they are also to be used to help others. You were able to stand on your feet so as to help others to find their own feet. You will agree with me that others also helped you at some points in your life's journey, so you should also extend the help to others. There is no successful person that achieves it alone. Others should also benefit from you.
Every human that is made in life, is made from someone. That is, an achiever is a subset of another achiever. The purpose of mentorship is to create other achievers, so that the world will be a better place. However, there are points you need to note in order to make for a good mentor-mentee relationship.
Firstly, you have to be teachable and understand that you need to learn and that you have not known as much as you should. This requires an extensive degree of humility and meekness. Of course, if you have known it all, then there will be no need for mentoring, but you do not, so you need to be humble. There is nothing as discouraging to mentor people as pride. When a potential mentor sees pride in their mentee, it may discourage their help. When you stay humble, you will earn from people because they will be piqued to help you.
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In addition to being humble, you should also be teachable. Since you want to learn from your mentor, you should position yourself to be taught by them. You may not even agree to their personality, but at that point, you should not be concerned about their personality - just be focused on what you want to learn. More so, do not show an "I too know" attitude that can repel your helper. Being teachable means that you are open to welcome new ideas, new innovations, and new skills. All these are what to help you to maximise the goodness of mentorship. Always remember this as I conclude with it:
If you want to be taught, then remain teachable.
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