Omar Ascha, Inspirational Leader, on 6 Steps to Finding Mentors and Transforming Your Life

Published on: 08 March 2019 Last Updated on: 13 September 2024
Mentors

If you’ve ever read biographies of successful people, you might have noticed one thing they all have in common — they have great mentors. If you’re wondering why finding a great mentor is so important, consider that knowing someone who’s been in your shoes and has achieved what you want to is an invaluable source of information for navigating the tricky path to success. Considering that mentors are so critical to our success, it is astonishing how unprepared most of us are to find someone who can guide us.

Jim Rohn says that we are the average of the five people we surround ourselves with the most. Take a moment to consider who those five people are in your life. Would you find them successful? If successful people do not surround you, how likely are you to achieve your own goals? Chances are, you’ve realized that you need to surround yourself with better, more successful people if you want to live the life of your dreams.

Omar Ascha, a rising star in the world of finance, is an avid believer in mentorship, leadership as well as paying it forward. As an active member of his local community, Mr. Ascha dedicates his spare time to nurturing the minds and ideas of young professionals. Below, he walks through a few essential tips to ensure you find the appropriate guide for your career.

1. Isolate your most pressing concern, and seek help:

If you were to take an unbiased look at your life right now, which is the one thing that you desperately need help with? Which is the one skill or discipline that would have the most positive effect on your life right now?

Once you’ve isolated this problem, you can start seeking people who can help you with it. Make sure you are talking about a clear, unambiguous problem statement that the person you are seeking has overcome in their own lives.

For example, you might be looking for someone who can teach you how to get 1,000 unique visitors to your website every single day. Once you’ve understood the problem clearly, you can move on.

2. Share your problem with your current network:

There’s a substantial probability that you are already connected to someone, directly or indirectly, who can help you with the problem you are facing. If you have a specific objective, make sure you share it often with the people you meet. Make it a point to bring up your goal in social situations. For example, the next time you encounter an acquaintance over dinner or drinks, you could say something like “I’m looking to grow my website to the point where it has 1,000 unique visitors daily.” Look at how they react to this statement.

It is possible that they might know someone, or know someone else who can put you in touch with the kind of person you are looking for. At the very least, it doesn’t hurt to try.

3. Be where the people you are looking for are:

You could have a particular problem and share it with your network of friends and acquaintances all the time. But if you want to give yourself the best chance of finding a successful mentor, you need to get out of the house and attend seminars, conferences, and events where these successful people hang out.

Industry conferences, startup meets, and other events of their kind are great places for finding mentors and like-minded people.

4. Be a good listener:

Instead of trying to impress the people you’re seeking help from, try to listen to their stories and understand where they’re coming from. Understand if there is a way your association will be mutually beneficial. Ask honest questions and then listen. If you approach people with the intention of adding some value to their lives, they will be more likely to be interested in helping you.

5. Be persistent:

Expect some of your actions to fail. Once you expect failure, you’re not as fazed by it. What is important is that you never quit. Analyze why something doesn’t work and then hone your approach incrementally until you hit the jackpot. Never stop trying.

6. Hold yourself accountable to others in your community:

Once you’ve found some people who have similar goals, the next thing you need to do is push each other to greater heights. Hold yourself accountable to someone and set measurable stakes for your actions. For example, if you’re looking to lose weight, find someone who wants to do the same or has already lost a lot of weight and then make them your accountability partners.

Finding people who are inspirational and motivate you is crucial if you want to succeed in life. Use the steps above to seek out mentors and other successful people. When you surround yourself with a thriving community, you will be amazed at how quickly your life changes.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Traits That Any Professional Should Aspire For

Here Are The 10 Traits That Any Professional Should Aspire For

Each profession demands certain types of talents and skillfulness. However, it's critical for everyone in the workplace to possess a set of general professional qualities, demonstrating well-rounded competence. In addition, we are living in a highly competitive space where people constantly fight for a spot. Alternatively, we continuously seek ways to enhance our skills, striving to stand out in our chosen career paths. As long as you keep this spirit, you can overcome most job challenges. With a dedication to continual learning and responsibility, professionals can stay ahead on the career ladder. Further, they are more prone to new opportunities as they can make a lasting contribution to their industry. Top 10 Professional Qualities To Keep In Mind Aspiring professionals must strive to develop diverse qualities that can ultimately impact themselves, their clients, their colleagues, and the organization. This is true for everyone, whether you are a seasoned or a fresh graduate. Moreover, success and progression in one's career are not limited by age. We all have different success timelines. But as long as you have a growth mindset and a solid set of qualities, you can go a long way. While some are lucky to be born with the “wow” factor, others do not. This is why many enroll in professional behavioral coaching. After all, being a so-called professional can be learned. Read on as we discuss the significant traits you should aspire for! 1 Eager To Learn If you are familiar with Tim Clarke’s book, “4 Stages of Psychological Safety,” you would know how crucial it is to develop a learner mindset. You are more likely to encounter many clueless moments at work if you are a new hire. A person who is willing to learn can go a long way. Your eagerness can make you ask questions, make mistakes, and ask for help without fearing embarrassment or humiliation by your peers. 2 Can Remain Calm Under Pressure And Stress Not all can ace this one. Staying composed under stressful scenarios implies how professional an individual can be. Rather than zoning out or focusing more on the chaos, remaining poised allows you to maintain healthy relationships. This is because intense situations often trigger most people. They tend to do things they must not do. 3 Being Collaborative And Responsible If you are working on a bigger space, you must have an aura that can make you likable and pleasant to work with. Mastering such quality can get you more projects. A quick tip here is to allow your coworkers to share their insights. Let them contribute. This way, you can build an imaginary string that binds everyone on the team. 4 Exhibiting Leadership Abilities It does not matter whether you are not the CEO yet. An exemplary professional can lead a team effectively. Fortunately, various programs can help you with this particular skill. For instance, you can apply for executive coaching programs that provide psychological safety exercises. Also, professionals who can lead are more likely to receive promotions, better job offers, and pay raises. 5 Can Operate In The Highest Level Of Integrity Whether in a personal or professional setting, integrity is essential to practice. Cognitive behavioral coaching techniques can help you succeed in being trustworthy and practicing honesty regarding decisions. Having integrity makes people feel safer in letting you work on major assignments involving private information. 6 Self-Motivated And Solution-Oriented Most bosses and executives appreciate employees who excel at tasks without supervision. This is because a self-motivated individual tends to stay on track more than those who are not. On top of that, a professional must be solution-oriented. When an issue arises, these people will provide proactive solutions, not band-aid ones. They can offer practical ways on how to fix the problem. 7 Has A Positive Attitude No one prefers to work with a consistently pessimistic individual. Your positive attitude can contribute to a healthier working environment, inspiring others to do and feel the same. Aside from that, optimistic people are most likely to find solutions rather than dwell on the situation. This can help achieve more company goals in the long run. 8 Confident Again, let us talk about the book “The Four Stages of Psychological Safety” by Timothy R Clarke. His book’s first stage states that humans desire acceptance. When we feel valued and appreciated, we tend to be more confident. This highlights the importance of choosing a workplace that values inclusive. Your coworkers must operate without hate and discrimination. 9 Comfortable With Failure While we strive for perfection, it's inevitable to encounter failure at times. In the complex world of entrepreneurship where many things can go wrong, an employee capable of transforming negatives into positives can be invaluable. Being comfortable with failure can be tough to master. But once you do, you can become unstoppable. 10 Equipped With Executive Coaching Training If you're eager to excel in your chosen field, it would be prudent to invest in training programs that can enhance your workplace performance. A leadership coach can help you navigate the intricacies of the corporate world. For some, the concept of psychological safety in the workplace may be unfamiliar. To explain, psychological safety training is a framework that assists businesses and organizations in attaining their goals while supporting all members. Fortunately, a wide variety of executive coaching services are available to cater to the needs of every professional. Here's a list to consider: Executive Leadership Coaching Performance Management Coaching Corporate Coaching Solution-Focused Coaching CEO Coaching Career Coaching Executive Business Coaching A reputable coaching organization recognizes individual progress. For instance, they can give you behavioral coaching certification that you can add to your resume. This shows how you are eager for growth and development. Conclusion We can make significant professional contributions, particularly if we maintain a growth-oriented mindset and embrace coaching behaviors. Understanding how to foster psychological safety at work can be challenging. A well-respected coach can help you with that. These experts provide the necessary tools for workplace success. Moreover, they can serve as your accountability partner, aiding your personal and professional growth. Additionals: Fast-Track Your Career: 7 Things You Should Know About Executive Coaching Is Investment Managers A Good Career Path In 2021? Is Medical Assistant A Good Career Path In 2021?

READ MOREDetails
Treated Unfairly

Most Important Steps To Take When You Think You Have Been Treated Unfairly

Finding a great job can be difficult. The better the job the more competition there is, meaning that you have to stand out from the crowd. However, what do you do when you have started your dream job and find that you are being treated unfairly. You may think that you simply have to put up with it, after all, what other options are there? But, the simple truth is that every person has the right to be treated fairly. You need to identify if you are being treated unfairly and do something about it. Identifying Unfair Treatment The first step is to look at how you are being treated in comparison to others in your workplace. There is a difference between unfair treatment when you are treated differently from others, and bad treatment when everyone is treated badly. It can help to speak to a reputable unfair dismissal lawyer, even if you haven’t been dismissed. They will help you to identify whether and how you are being unfairly treated. They can also be of assistance in resolving the matter. Step 1 – Bring It Up The first step in dealing with unfair treatment is to bring it up with the company and the specific individual. In many cases, this is your direct boss. Talk to them about the issue you are facing and see how they respond. This can be enough to end the issue. You must remain calm when talking and it is advisable to take a witness into any meeting. You should make notes regarding the entire process. Step 2 – Contact Superiors If this has no effect and the business has an HR department you can bring the issue up with them. They will have set procedures that need to be followed to assess your claim and deal with it properly. If your business doesn’t have a separate HR person that you can talk to then you will need to go to the boss or owner of the company. Of course, if this is the person unfairly treating you that won’t help! Step 3 – Involve The Professionals Should both the above steps have been unsuccessful then it is time to speak to your unfair dismissal lawyer again, even if you haven’t been dismissed. They will be able to contact your employer for you and remind them of the law regarding the treatment of employees. The fact that they are already in the loop means it will be easier for them to assist you if the employer reacts badly and dismisses you. Of course, you need to be aware that dealing head-on with unfair behavior at work means you may not feel welcome in the workplace anymore. If this is the case you can leave and file an unfair dismissal claim as you have been forced out. Again, it’s a good idea to speak to the unfair dismissal lawyer first to ensure you get the best advice and follow the right protocol. Read Also: 5 Ways You Could Have Been Sexually Harassed in the Workplace The Benefits of Drug Testing in the Workplace using Drug Test Cups

READ MOREDetails
How to Ask for a Referral

How To Ask For A Referral? – Essential Tips For Professional Growth

Networking is the process where you make connections and build productive relationships in your professional field. It is an important factor if you want to grow professionally and seek new employment opportunities. A major aspect of networking is to get referrals. In this article, you will learn how to ask for a referral request.  Here, you will learn how to use your network to get referrals. As a result, you will have a better likelihood of getting access to new opportunities or cracking interview processes. Thereby, you can get better job offers and get professional growth. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article.  What Is A Referral Request? Having a professional network is essential for every employee or businessperson. This helps you get access to referrals faster. Basically, when you ask a member of your professional network to endorse or introduce you to a prospective employer, it is a referral request.   For example, it can be something like reaching out to a recruiter on LinkedIn or asking a previous employer to refer you.  In fact, if you have a referral in your arsenal, you give employers a chance to distinguish you from other job candidates. This will increase your chances of getting an interview or getting the job offer itself. Generally, employers go for candidates with referrals since it shows that the candidate has skills and experience.  Apart from that, if you have a referral with you, it shows that you can form and maintain good work relationships. Also, it shows that you can form and nurture networks. For instance, you can request a referral from a personal acquaintance. Moreover, your interview preparation gets easier if you have a referral.  Hence, you must ensure that you are choosing the right person for the referral. Moreover, you must approach them in the right manner.  How To Ask For A Referral? – Steps To Follow The following are some steps you must follow if you want to ask for a referral from a professional you know:  1. Choose The Right Medium  While asking for a referral, you must consider your relationship with your referrer. Generally, the best medium to reach a referrer is through writing. For example, it can be a message, an email, a LinkedIn chat, etc.   Basically, the choice of medium depends on your relationship with the person. If the relationship with the person is formal, the best option is to use a written medium. However, if you have a causal relationship with the person, a face-to-face conversation can be handy.  2. Find The Right Person To Ask  Another important factor to consider is whom to ask for a referral. This can be anyone you know, a former employer, a friend, or anyone else. Moreover, you can also ask someone in your existing network.  However, the best person to ask for a referral is someone you already know. In fact, that person can attest to how you work and what your character is. Basically, the stronger the connection, the better the chance of getting a referral. Hence, the best option is to ask an ex-boss, colleague, former client, or even a college professor.  Additionally, make sure you are honest with the referrer and explain what you need. Also, explain to them how they can help you and how beneficial it will be for your career.   However, don’t ask for a referral from someone close to you, like a family member or a friend. In such cases, the referral request is obvious and does not help you during an interview.  3. Give The Referrer More Context And Reasons  It is important to provide your referrer with the context of the referral. In fact, tell them why you need the referral and what exactly you want to achieve with it.   For instance, if you apply for a job, be sure to attach a resume and the job listing to your request. Moreover, mention why you are asking them for a referral. For example, if you ask your previous employer for a referral, include a note that you have worked together.   Additionally, you can also include a portfolio of your other work if you want to provide extra context.  Here, you must make sure your request is not vague where your referrer is unsure about what you want. Also, ensure you give them an idea of how they can help you in the first place.   Actually, this extra information will make it easier for them to agree with you. Hence, they will be eager to give you a referral that will help you grow professionally.  4. Ensure The Process Is Easy And They Say “Yes”  When the referral process is easier, it will provide you with better results. Apart from providing them with a context, make sure they find it easy to refer you professionally. Additionally, you can also send your referrer with your career portfolio or your website. However, it needs to be relevant and must be an easy reference to consider.  On the other hand, you can face a situation where the referrer wants to provide you with a referral but does not have the time to do so. In such cases, you can offer a draft letter on your referrer’s behalf. This way, they can just add a signature to it or attest to it.  Hence, you make it easier for them to give you a referral. Moreover, they do not feel like they must push themselves to give a reference to you.  However, if you are an independent professional, you can make it easy for your clients to refer you. Here, you just need to create and provide marketing materials for them. For instance, you can use a business card, an email template, or just a website button. This way, they can quickly refer you to their network with minimal effort.  5. Give Them The Option To Opt Out  You can request someone to provide you with a referral. However, that does not mean that they will agree to provide you with that. On the other hand, you can feel that an ex-employer or a friend can help you. However, they might not feel comfortable referring you to their network.  Hence, you must accept the possibility of rejection and move on. Therefore, to prevent an awkward situation, you can provide an opt-out option in the referral request.   For instance, in your request, you can write, “It’s alright if you can’t provide a referral…” Hence, you are giving your referrers an option to exit. Also, you are not jeopardizing the relationship with them.  6. Ensure A Follow-Up And Express Gratitude  When you receive a referral, you need to express gratitude. In fact, it is not a good idea to take a referral for granted. For instance, if someone refers you to their network, make sure to send them a thank you note. This way, you are expressing appreciation.  Moreover, if a professional contact offers you a dream role, you must thank them for their time and support. Furthermore, even if you do not land the job, you must still express your gratitude.  How To Ask For A Referral? – Tips To Consider  Apart from conceptual skills, companies also look for networking and communication skills. You can prove your networking skills with the help of a referral. Hence, getting a referral is essential for business growth.  The following are some of the tips you must follow if you want to ask for a referral from a professional network:  1. How you ask for a referral depends on your relationship with the referrer. For instance, if you ask someone an authority figure, you must use a formal tone.  2. You can also personalize your request if you understand it will work. For instance, you can include a thoughtful message. Apart from that, even if you are asking different people, make sure to write each referrer differently.  3. By being specific and providing context behind your referral request, you increase your chances of getting a referral.  4. Timing is the most important aspect of your referral request. For instance, if you know that the potential referrer is currently busy or not in the right mood, you must hold your request. Basically, you can yield better results if you ask at the right time.  5. You must build your network and grow it with time. In fact, once you prioritize your networks, you will not need to ask for referrals, as they will start coming your way. For instance, you can use a mutual connection when you are looking for a job or building a business from scratch.  Referral For Professional Growth: The Way Forward  Now, you know how to ask for a referral from someone from your network. Understand that the best referral comes from people you already know. Basically, if you have built professional relationships in your network, always feel free to ask for referrals.  Do you have more suggestions to offer on how to ask for a referral? Please share your ideas and opinions in the comments section below.  Read Also: Best LinkedIn Recommendation Example – How to Write a Great LinkedIn Recommendation The Secret To Finding A Career That You’ll Actually Love What Is a Remote Job? Everything You Need to Know

READ MOREDetails