A Sherpa?

The other day, a friend told me something that stuck with me.

They said my mentoring style is more like a Sherpa than a traditional coach/mentor.

At first, I laughed it off, but then I started thinking about what they meant.

Sherpas, originally a Tibetan ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Nepal and Tibet, are renowned for their expertise in high-altitude mountaineering and their crucial role in guiding expeditions through challenging terrains.

Their approach to guidance shares several fascinating similarities with what I am doing during my mentoring journeys.

Expertise and Experience: A Sherpa brings deep, specialized knowledge from years of practical experience. They don't just provide theoretical advice but offer wisdom rooted in real-world navigation and survival skills.

Navigation and Pathfinding: A Sherpa guides climbers through complex, treacherous routes, helping them overcome obstacles and choose the most effective path.

Emotional and Psychological Support: Beyond technical guidance, Sherpas provide crucial psychological support during incredibly challenging journeys. They maintain calm, offer encouragement, and help climbers believe in their potential to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Skill Transfer and Empowerment: Sherpas don't carry climbers up the mountain; they teach essential skills, share local knowledge, and empower climbers to become more self-sufficient.

Adaptation and Contextual Understanding: Sherpas excels at reading environmental conditions, understanding subtle changes, and adapting strategies accordingly.

Trust and Relationship: The relationship between a Sherpa and a climber is built on deep mutual trust, respect, and a shared commitment to achieving a challenging goal.

My mentoring practice is not about having all the answers or telling people what to do. It's about walking alongside them, helping them see the path they need to take. I've always believed that everyone has their journey and their challenges. My job isn't to solve their problems but to help them find their way through.

That resonates a lot with my colleague's Sherpa comparison. It's not about carrying someone up the mountain but about helping them discover they have the strength to climb it themselves. It's about trust, reading the terrain together, and knowing when to push and when to pause.

Sometimes, mentoring is just about being present, about believing in someone even when they don't believe in themselves. It's about sharing experiences, not as absolute truths but as insights that might help illuminate one's path.

So yeah, I'm a bit of a Sherpa. Not conquering mountains but helping others realize they can, accompanying individuals to heal themselves along the journey through deep insight, compassionate support, and addressing underlying beliefs.

It's about restoring inner balance and empowering individuals to transform themselves.

My mentoring practice is not about having all the answers or telling people what to do. It's about walking alongside them, helping them see the path they need to take.