The golden mentor

On April 16, 2009, in Leadership that lasts, by Neculai Fantanaru

Guide people to what's best and brightest in them, focusing more on their spiritual map.

A movie about which I have talked before is "Gattaca (1997)". There is a scene, right at the beginning, which stuck well in my mind.

The story of the movie takes place in the not-too-distant future, in which the specialists could find out in just a few seconds, the exact time and cause of death of a newly born baby. And to Vincent has been predicted that he would die at the age of 30 years because of his weakened heart.

The boy's mother, lying on the hospital bed, waited impatiently and with great emotions, the doctors' verdict. After the doctors gave her the verdict, notifying her of Vincent's life expectancy, she still looked at her baby with a happy and affectionate expression on her face, and, very confident, not letting herself discouraged, exclaimed with pride and a spiritual delicacy: “I know he will do everything. You will do something, Vincent.” Meaning: “I know you can. I know you'll be somebody. You'll be able to do something important with your life, no matter what the specialists say.”

Undoubtedly, Vincent's mother had more confidence in him than in the genetics specialists. Furthermore, her confidence became reality in time. Vincent made it, eventually, although he was not meant for that world, although no one gave him any chance of becoming a pilot to Gattaca and fly in the outer space.

The role of caring and loving mother

“I know you can, I know you will do something”. These simple words, but full of life and of hope, full of desire and faith told by a person truly interested in you, make you feel better, stronger, to be more confident in your future, more creative, more willing and motivated to be a part of the show of life. Being convinced of her good intentions, you will not hang in yourself, you will not fill yourself with sadness but, more than certainly, you will become a new man. Even so, you can very easily be demotivated by someone who tells you with conviction that you do not have the potential necessary to produce results, that you have a limited perspective on your field of activity or criticizing you with every occasion.

I strongly believe that very few managers, respectively leaders, are able to flawlessly play the role of loving and caring mother, who would always be there for people with a great heart, with hope, with a sincere and accentuated preoccupation, which would do everything possible in order to determine them to choose the best path to evolution. People's paths cannot be guided by more than one person with strong will, with an optimistic vision on life, on present and future, who knows how to read deep in the hearts of people, allowing them to catch a glimpse of faith.

Help people breathe, not to stifle

Only a strong impetus, a healthy, intense blow of life and an excellent morale can help you overcome any obstacle, even if that hot blood owned by winners does not run through you, even if you lack the attitude specific to superior people. Your attitude may be subject to a change if you have around you, near you, as often as you feel the need, a person who, putting all his hopes in you, trusting in your potential, encourages you and gives you a certain dose of courage and imagination.

Life must be glorious, a complete triumph, under no circumstance a difficult or unpromising "score", and if you do not have on your side someone who, through words of eulogy, through periodical encouragements would make you confident that you can, that you are able to take over the initiative every time necessary, and that you are able to handle any situation, you will not be able to rise above all expectations.

Just as the blood circulation is concentrated on the heart rather than the liver - and so you, as a leader, you should focus more on the inner beauty of people, on their spiritual map, on their qualities and skills, rather than on their willingness to gather around you.

How good it would be if any company would have in its leadership a protective and loving “mother”, worthy of being listened to and followed, who would give people a certain peace of heart, a mother who would not prevent weak minds to build a strong future, who would help people instead of shoving them, who would give them trust, and they, relying on this trust, to forget about all their fears, to leave behind their unhealthy thoughts and feelings, and to approach life with a great enthusiasm, just like Vincent did.

Every human owns a map which highlights their most precious values. You only have to understand very well their map and then to give them some precise coordinates to thank them spiritually and that would open a broader horizon to them. Guide people to what's best and brightest in them, focusing more on their spiritual map.

Conclusion: Of course, it is very important to have a mentor, even a spiritual one, who would support you and lift your morale at least in hard times, just as it is equally true the fact that, sometimes, time does not pass in your favor and you are obliged to get palpable results quickly, which, of course, is the best impulse for you.