26 Quotes on Mentorship

Mentoring is one of the keys to unlocking the next level of wisdom, changing hustle to humility, and building lasting leadership. Check out these inspiring reminders of the power of mentoring.

The Importance of Mentoring 

1. “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” —John C. Maxwell
2. “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” —Dolly Parton
3. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” —Mark Twain
4. “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.” —Galileo Galilei
5. “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” —Bill Gates
6. “The heart of mentoring: ‘getting the most out of life isn’t about how much you keep for yourself, but how much you pour into others.’” —David Stoddard

Finding the Right Mentor

1. “Search for the role models you can look up to and people who take an interest in your career. But here’s an important warning: you don’t have to have mentors who look like you. Had I been waiting for a black, female Soviet specialist mentor, I would still be waiting. Most of my mentors have been old white men, because they were the ones who dominated my field.” —Condoleezza Rice
2. “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” —Oprah
3. “Great Mentors Focus on the Whole Person, Not Just Their Career.” —Rick Woolworth
4. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” —William Arthur Ward
5. “A mentor is not someone who walks ahead of us to show us how they did it. A mentor walks alongside us to show us what we can do.” —Simon Sinek
6. “Mentors and mentees may come from different backgrounds and have a limited understanding of each other’s cultures and outlooks, but mentorship remains one of the most powerful tools for inclusion, professional development, and talent retention.” —Lois Zachary

Being a Great Mentor

1. “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is…to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better.” —Steve Jobs
2. “A great relationship requires deep connection, not perfection.” —John Mark Green
3. “Remember that mentor leadership is all about serving. Jesus said, ‘For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45).” —Tony Dungy
4. “In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you’re sharing with.” —Maya Angelou
5. “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” —Carl Jung
6. “Mentors build mentors. Leaders build leaders. When you look at it closely, it’s really one and the same thing.” —Tony Dungy
7. “The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.” —Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Getting the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationship

1. “The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.” —Plutarch
2. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” —Xun Kuang
3. “Mentorship is free, but in terms of workplace happiness, it’s akin to giving workers a salary bump.” —Laura Wronski and Jon Cohen
4. “Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It’s the only way we grow.” —George Lucas
5. “If you are ‘too busy’ most of the time, or locked behind closed doors, no mentoring relationship can work.” —Martin Zwilling
6. “A good mentor hopes you will move on. A great mentor knows you will.” —Leslie Higgins, on Ted Lasso
7. “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” —John Crosby

Ready to get started on your path to growth? Download our free ebook, 7 Practices for Overcoming your Leadership Struggles or take Trochia’s Character-Led Leadership Course.