The Power of a Mentor
A Win-Win Relationship
Mentorship can have a powerful impact on the development of a young coach. The young coach gains insight, wisdom, and direction. But don’t make the mistake of thinking the young guy is the only one who benefits! The mentor benefits too! It goes both ways.
A mentor has no room to coast. A good mentor must be engaged, current, and committed to growth. Always evaluating, refining, and evolving their craft. That’s the beauty of it—it keeps you sharp. You cannot lead others until you can first lead yourself. The mentor must live the example. The good news is that by mentoring others, you are improving yourself.
It is human nature to attain a level of individual success and settle in. Some people rise to the top and think it’s everyone else’s job to serve them. The great ones are servant leaders who see the value of investing in the success of others. It is a special person who is intentional about adding value to the people around them. I think back to my B.C. High days, the Jesuits would call it being a “man for others.”
I like to use the metaphor of a lighthouse. A lighthouse keeps you out of danger and points you in the right direction. The right mentor can accelerate progress by lighting the path, but it’s up to the young coach to follow it. A mentor isn’t there to motivate. That fire must come from within. When that internal drive meets external guidance, that’s when things take off. Eastern philosophy says that when the student is ready, the teacher appears.
Mike Boyle, my college strength coach, became one of my mentors. I remember calling Mike with questions. Mike was always evolving as a coach. He was a master of simplifying complex concepts so they could be easily understood and implemented. I would get off the phone and think to myself, “Alright, I can do this.” Mike instilled confidence.
I also had the privilege of working under Joe Moore. I was 22 years old. I didn’t know it at the time, but in less than a year, I would be coaching my own offensive line at a Division I school. Joe knew what that would take; it wouldn’t be easy, and he was preparing me for it. Joe was demanding. He told me exactly what I needed to hear; there was no sugarcoating. Joe was not easy to work for, but I always knew he had my back and believed in me. If Joe hadn’t been so tough on me, I wouldn’t have been prepared for the role I walked into a year later.
Mike and Joe didn’t just influence my coaching; they changed my life. They were different in their approach and personality. Life puts people on your path who have something to teach you. It’s our job to be open-minded and ask the question, “What am I supposed to be learning here?” I will forever be grateful for the impact they had on me and my family. When you think about it, their influence did not end with me; they impacted everyone I ever coached or mentored years later. When you have a great mentor, you’re no longer standing in front of the mirror alone. There is someone beside you—investing in your growth, committed to your success.
Successful leaders do not collect followers; they create more leaders. The most successful coaches in the history of college football have coaching trees that speak for themselves. Bear, Bo, Fry, Saban, and Woody all have elite coaching trees. Look them up! They mentored coaches who moved on to lead programs of their own, winning championships. They created a ripple effect that amplified their impact exponentially for generations.
When leaders add value to those around them by investing time and effort in their development, everybody wins.