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Giving Thanks By Helping Others
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Published: January 24, 2008
Mentor.
It's a powerful word, conjuring an image of an experienced, wise and influential adviser with an eager young student soaking up knowledge. That image leaves out the most important parts of mentoring, though: friendship and sharing time on a personal level.
I think about that today, which The National Mentoring Partnership and other organizations have declared as National Thank Your Mentor Day.
Years ago, when I was a student at the University of South Florida, I benefited from the College of Business Corporate Mentor program, which pairs business leaders with students.
These students are often the first in their families to go to college. Frequently, they have not yet been able to see what it's like in the corporate world. They may not have witnessed, first-hand, what it means to be a professional and know why networking is an essential part of a successful career.
I can look back and see how having a mentor impacted my career.
Now, as chief financial officer for Fifth Third Bank, I am one of 72 senior-level professionals serving the business school as a mentor in the very same program that helped me (and nearly 500 other students since its 1987 inception).
It's gratifying to thank the mentors who influenced me personally and professionally by doing the same for two young men who are, like I was, on the brink of success and eager to soak up a few nuggets of advice along the way.
I admire sports hero Michael Jordan's positive attitude and drive to be simply and undeniably the best, outperforming his competitors with relentless passion and love of the game. Like Jordan, I want to outperform my competitors with passion and a love for the job. He's a mentor or sorts, but the (perhaps) less famous people who share friendship, advice, and time with me are the mentors who bolstered my confidence and made a bigger difference in my career.
I am grateful for people like my father, Eugene Lamb, who is amazing for a long list of reasons. Among the most important: He taught me the value of building mutually beneficial personal and professional relationships.
And then there's TECO's CEO John Ramil, who has probably been the most influential mentor in my professional life, displaying leadership and an infectious commitment to excellence. I've watched as he and people like Columbia Restaurant President Richard Gonzmart demonstrated unabashed passion for helping others, particularly young people in need of guidance.
Thank Your Mentor Day is a great reason to reach out to thank those people who encouraged and guided you. It's also a great time to sign up to do the same for another young person in our community.
Brian Lamb is the recipient of numerous civic and business awards and the founder of the Eugene Lamb Jr. Foundation, in honor of his father, which raises capital to enhance his hometown of Midway, Fla.
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