Actions of a Leader: 5

INvest.

Did you know that Michael Jackson (Yes, THE Michael Jackson) was a mentor to Kobe Bryant? Read about it here. I’m pretty famous, or infamous, concerning Michael Jackson trivia, but even I didn’t know about their relationship until recently. It’s a pretty profound example of celebrity-to-celebrity mentoring.

But more common, is the existence of an unknown mentor. Consider Wiley Pittman. Ever heard of him? Probably not. He just happens to be the man who taught Ray Charles how to play piano. Ray said in an interview, “If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t think I’d be a musician today.” An average guy, who owned a general store, who had a piano, who took the time to pour into an interested and talented child. The everyday, common man, unknown mentor.

But don’t confuse anonymity with insignificance. Without Pittman, you’ve probably never heard:

“I Got a Woman”

“Hit the Road Jack”

“Georgia on My Mind”

But, you also may have never heard:

“Soul Bossa Nova” (popularized in the Austin Powers films)

Film scores and soundtracks like:

“In the Heat of the Night” (1967)

“The Italian Job” (1969)

“Roots” (1977)

“The Wiz” (1978)

That’s because Wiley Pittman invested in Ray Charles. And Charles invested in Quincy Jones. And without Quincy Jones, you may have never gotten to hear:

“Rock With You”

“Billie Jean”

“Beat It”

(Ok, MJ fans, I know that Michael was the genius here but humor me.)

That’s because Pittman invested in Charles who invested in Jones who invested in… Michael Jackson. (And the King invested in the Mamba.) And now we’ve come full circle.

I hope by now you’re seeing the power of mentoring and sharing one’s time and talent. Investing is building someone up for the purpose of seeing another thrive.

Like financial investments, we invest in others by giving up something imminent to achieve something distant, with interest. Parents do this all the time. They sacrifice time, talent, treasure, sleep, peace of mind, and individual freedom - to invest in their child for a future return. For one thing, they hope their children will take care of them when they’re elderly. (I hope my kids read this!)

In the same way, leaders are investors. They know that real accomplishments aren’t about short-term gains or selfish ambition. True accomplishments - lasting legacies - are built when we become unknown mentors and invest in others.

Leaders, here are some quick tips on how you can take action and invest in others:

- Pursue a mentor of your own. Seek out professional development. Find someone who can help coach you to the next level.

- Embrace the value of investing in someone else. Pick someone who shows promise. Download to your mentee from your knowledge and experience.

- Don’t be threatened when others on your team seek growth and professional development. Instead, advocate and allocate for it!

- Encourage life-long learning by regularly practicing “group learning.” Read a book together. Have someone lead a workshop. Take a trip to a conference.

- Promote work-life balance. Make sure members of your team invest in rest and self-care. Encourage time off.

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