This person could have been your spouse, mother, father, sibling, grandparents or a best friend.

Then, after you got done explaining your situation or whatever was on your mind, chances are, this person chimed in with his or her take on that situation.

And, even if you didn’t necessarily agree 100 percent, you felt better than you had before. That’s because of the incredible power you gain having a panel of trusted critics in your life. These are the people that can be completely honest with you while having your best interests at heart — people whom you fully trust.

How the “panel” idea materialized.

I learned the tremendous power of having a panel of trusted critics one afternoon after delivering a keynote presentation to a group of 700 sales professionals. One thing I absolutely love about traveling all over the world and speaking to groups from different industries is the time I get to spend with leaders and high achievers before and after I take the stage.

I love to hear their stories and what makes them tick. But that one afternoon was different. And I say “different” because I wasn’t expecting to hear a method that totally revolutionized how I view the opinions of those I trust.

In fact, the managing director of a medical device company began to explain that a major thing that had helped him get to where he is today was his panel of trusted critics. He went on to say, “You know what, Matt? When you were speaking about the impact that having mentors and studying the lives of other great men and women had had on your life, I was reminded of my own little practice involving others that has, without a doubt, been the main reason why I am in the position I am, earn the amount of money I do and have the family life I have.

“I have a panel of selected critics I go to whenever I need a second voice, opinion or advice on something. But the one area that they help me the most with are those times of uncertainty and adversity. I can always count on them to tell me what I need to hear in that exact moment.”

What he said to me really hit home. I started to look back at some of the darkest times of my life, some of the biggest failures of my life, and to notice a pattern. I sought counsel from outside resources. Whether it was someone that I loved more than this world, such as God and my parents, or a good friend whom I knew I could count on: Their advice and opinions always seemed to bring me comfort even in the most uncertain times of my life.

Make your own list.

That night, after the event, on the plane back to Chicago, I took out a sheet of paper and put together a list of five trusted critics. Fast-forward to the present, and I can see how this special group of trusted critics have played an enormous role in my life, and ultimately helped me get to where I am today. Sometimes, we need someone else to chime in and tell us how it is, especially during the troubling times.

I encourage you to take some time right now to take out a sheet of paper and write down at least five people who could serve as a trusted critic in your life. Think of them as your own special advisory board. These people will always tell you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear. They will consistently challenge you to be better, and you can always count on them when you need an honest voice or opinion.

It doesn’t matter if each of these people is a family member, colleague or spouse. All that matters is that you fully trust them and that they have your best interest at heart. Ideally, you want to enlist someone who is further ahead in life than you, someone who can basically serve as a mentor.

Here are two key benefits that you will experience when you take the time to form your own panel of trusted critics.

You’ll get out of your comfort zone more often.

One of the biggest benefits of having a panel of trusted critics in your life is that you will step out of your comfort zone more often. There have been plenty of times in my life where I wanted to seek comfort instead of growth, but the people that I had in my inner circle were there to help keep me on track.

They were able to help me get out of my own way and see things for what they really were. Constantly getting out of your comfort zone is absolutely imperative if you want to achieve greatness; and when you have the right people in your life that you can count on, they will help you do just that.

You’ll become more successful.

Having the right men and women on your panel of trusted critics will drastically help you become more successful. You will be motivated to get big things done instead of just going through the motions. You’ll learn from adversity instead of running away from it, and be forced to face reality instead of living in the land of make believe.

I am naturally very motivated; I have always been that way for the most part. However, motivation can only get you so far. The number of lessons that I have learned, the wisdom that I have gained and the breakthroughs I have experienced from having the right people by my side are endless in number.

So, will having a panel of trusted critics and special mentors in your life automatically make you a major success? Of course not. But what it will do is serve as a catalyst for massive growth and help you become the best version of yourself.

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

The post The Power of Having Trusted Critics in Your Life appeared first on Matt Mayberry.

After an injury that resulted in being sidelined and no longer able to play for the pros, I discovered my truest passion. Writing and speaking. However, when I uncovered what my true passion was, I had no idea how to pursue that career. That’s when I discovered the genius of mentorship.

When I began to work on my personal growth, my mentor explained to me that I needed to become a different person than who I was if I wanted my business to be a thriving business. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure what he meant but I agreed and followed his lead. As time went on, I noticed almost everything that we talked about or worked on really had nothing to do with my actual business. Instead, it was all focused on who I was as a person, my characteristics, how I thought and what my daily habits were.

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, I’m sure you have read or maybe even experienced firsthand the tremendous benefits from having a mentor. There is so much value that comes from learning from a master who has been there and done that.

I strongly believe that having a solid, experienced and willing mentor will do more for you personally and professionally than any book, online course, or any other type of learning material available. Without mentorship, I may have never been able to build my public speaking business and writing career. Here are a few thoughts on finding a great mentor or friend to help you:

Mentorship Tips

• The sky’s the limit! Think big from the start. If you don’t visualize yourself as being successful, then you won’t attract the great people who will want to help you.
• Be realistic. Recognize that there are things you don’t know. Remember, experience is built from your mentor facing the same or similar situations before. That’s something that no entrepreneur can have too much of on their team.
• Trust your instincts. This is your passion, your business. Listen to advice but be careful to filter it. You are in charge of your life and your decisions, so stay true to them.
• Use caution and choose your mentors carefully. Many people who “talk a big talk” may have few real experiences and will be more of a danger to you. Remember, the goal of this mentoring relationship is to make your habits and values better as you become more like the people you spend time with. It’s O.K. to have a friend as a mentor if you respect their principles. And it’s O.K. to choose someone you’ve never met.
• Timing is everything. The more proof you have that you are on to a winning idea, the easier it will be to attract a new mentor.
  Don’t expect your mentor(s) to have all the answers; however, a great mentor can help you find the answers for yourself or refer you to someone who can help.
• Be appreciative. Reward them well and be prepared to offer them equity or similar that will incentivize them to help you over the long-term to build your company and its value. (This, of course, depends on the type of mentor they are and the type of business you’re building).
• If this fits your business model, then seek out entrepreneur groups, business angel and seed capital networks. These are all good places to look for great advisers and mentors.
• Choose different mentors for different areas of your business. Someone who shared your vision for your business might not have the best advice about budgeting or back-office issues. So, choose different mentors for different needs.

Take Action: Application is king. If all you do is meet with your mentor or study about him in books, you’re not going to get much from this relationship. Once you have selected your mentor(s) you have to take action. Apply what you have learned!

Mentorship alone cannot physically do things for you. You have to take action! This is the most important aspect of mentorship: applying what you learn. At this point, you have come to the realization of just how important it is to grow personally, you have a world-class mentor to make sure you become the person you need to be in order to reach the top in your field, and now it’s time to apply everything that you learned.

If you find your business not growing or reaping the rewards you were maybe once hoping for, chances are that it has absolutely nothing to do with your actual business but everything to do with you individually. We can have mentors for literally every area of our life, but having one to help you grow personally will be one of the best decisions you ever made in your professional career. The fact is, if you grow personally, it will cross over into your professional life so you can maximize your company’s growth, as well.

Pay it forward. Remember this: Pay it forward. Mentorship is a cycle. Keep this cycle going and return the favor of all the wisdom you have received from your mentor by becoming a mentor yourself. The more you give, the more that will be returned to you. It’s a universal law of life.

Originally posted on Entrepreneur.com

The post The Genius Of Mentorship appeared first on Matt Mayberry.