The 2010 Mentor is someone that you identify as an authority on a particular topic or area. You may or may not even know them, but through technology, social media (and the likes) you can learn a ton from them!   They are different than a traditional mentor or what you would think of as a mentor.  While they don’t take the place of real face-to-face relationships in your life, the 2010 Mentor can help shape your beliefs and skills and help you grow in powerful ways.  This post was written in conjunction with The 2010 Mentor: How Someone You Barely Know Can Change Your Life (I would recommend also reading the first post so that you can have better context for this one).  Below are a few tips on finding a 2010 Mentor as well as ways to give back by being a 2010 Mentor.  The 2010 Mentor- How to Find One & Become One:

How do I find a 2010 Mentor?

1. Get clarity. Find out where you need help or what you would like to learn. Get clarity on a few areas of growth.  Ask questions like, “If I could grow in any area in my life right now, what area would that be?” You may have answers like, “I would like to grow as a communicator,” or “I would like to learn to be a better friend to others,” or “I would like to grow in a deeper relationship with my spouse.”  Personal and spiritual growth happens when you are intentional about it.  Identify a few areas of growth, then turn them into concrete, measurable goals.  Get clarity.

2. Get after it. After you find out what you are looking for in a 2010 Mentor, get after it! Ask questions like, “Who can I learn from to grow in the areas that I would like to grow.”  If you want to grow as a communicator, find a few people you respect as communicators.  If you want to grow as a friend, find a resource and buy it (Speed of Trust by Steven Covey is money)!  If you would like to grow in a relationship with your spouse, seek out someone that is an authority on relationships and starting digesting what they are saying.  Here is a good list of relationship resources.  Your 2010 Mentor probably won’t even know they are one of your 2010 Mentors.  Just start paying attention to what they say, do, etc. Read like crazy, listen to podcasts, and get after it!

3. Get realistic. Recognize limitations. The 2010 Mentor doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have personal relationships with others.  On the contrary!  You desperately need real relational influences in your life. The 2010 Mentor is not a substitute for face-to-face relationships.  It just means you are seeking out a specific person to learn from for a specific reason.  It is supplemental to other relationships and friendships in your life.  There are obvious limitations to the 2010 Mentor, but if you are intentional with who you seek out, you can learn a ton!  Just make sure you are realistic about what they can offer.

How do you find 2010 Mentors?  Please share! For more thoughts on clarifying your personal vision and values, check out: The Player Piano and Leadership- Writing Your Own Song in Life, Mastering Time and Influencing the World: 5 Things I’ve Learned About Time, Focus & Eating Frogs & 10 Crucial Questions to Ask Yourself in 2010.

How do I become a 2010 Mentor?

1. Be transparent. Be willing to allow others to see into your life. Social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter) is the perfect platform for this.  If you learn something, share it.  People can’t follow you or learn from you if your life is not accessible to them in any way.

2. Be Intentional. Be intentional about what you allow others to see. I intentionally blog and post about leadership, innovation, church, family, impacting culture.  Almost everything I post is intentional in some way.  I am doing my best to model certain behaviors so that others in my life can follow my lead.  As your discover your values in life, allow these values to shape your actions.  Then be intentional about your actions and what you allow others to see.  Light bulbs throw out a ton of light that goes in all different directions.  Lasers focus that light and have serious impact.  Be the laser, not the lightbulb.  Be intentional.

3. Be vulnerable. Be willing to get a little vulnerable. People need to see that you are not perfect. They need to see that you are a real person.  If you mess up, share it (when appropriate).  Be willing to take risks and don’t preten to have all the answers.  Have more questions than answers.  Develop conversations and relationships.  Be vulnerable.

How else can you be a 2010 Mentor?  Please share. For more thoughts on influencing others, check out: 10 Essentials of Online Leadership, Leadership Ain’t A Title: How To Gain Influence Where You Are Now, 4 Twitter Questions Every Blogger or Organization Should Ask, Social Media Ain’t About Me: 5 Ways to Be Selfless on Facebook or Twitter.

If you enjoy TheWayItCouldBe.com, feel free to subscribe to recieve email updates by clicking on the handy new envelope a the top of the page!

Rewind: I bet a lot of images and ideas come to mind when you hear the word mentor: coffee talks, tossing the pigskin around on a Saturday afternoon at the park, ice cream runs. These are examples of things a mentor typically does with the person they are helping.  There is certainly still a time and place for this type of mentor. Face to face relationships are vital!

Still, I see a trend emerging of a new type of mentor- The 2010 Mentor. Social Media and technology allow for a new kind of mentor, and those who take advantage of the opportunity to learn from these mentors have much to gain. The 2010 Mentor is someone that you can learn from that you may not even know. They may be an authority or thought leader in a particular area.  They have so much to offer you!  The best way I know to describe what I’m talking about is to give you a few examples of 2010 mentors. These are men that don’t really know me that well! Here is the 2010 Mentor- How Someone You Barely Know Can Change Your Life:

Craig Groeschel. Craig is the Senior Pastor of LifeChurch.tv, the 2nd largest church in the country and a highly influential individual around the world. LifeChurch.tv is my family’s church and I also happen to be on staff.  Craig doesn’t really know me that well, but I consider him a mentor. Every week, I have some form of interaction through weekend video teaching messages or weekday video updates.  Every quarter or so, I have some form of face-to-face time. I’ve learned all kinds of things from Craig: communication techniques, leadership values, life balance and a passion for people around the world. Again, he doesn’t know me that well, but I’ve decided to watch and learn everything I can from one of the most innovative leaders in the country. Craig is a 2010 Mentor.

Here is a funny story about an experience I had with Craig: I’m Sure Not Craig Groeschel, But I Did Give His Message at LifeChurch.tv

Scott Williams. Scott writes at a blog called BigIsTheNewSmall.com on topics such as social media, leadership, diversity and church. I’ve hung out with Scott one time in my life, but because of social media, I have gained a lifetime of wisdom and knowledge. I can watch what he posts, what he writes, how he spends his time, and how he influences thousands of people every day. We are very different, but he has much to offer to anyone looking to influence others through social media.  Scott has influenced me in more ways than he’ll ever know and my time with him has been very limited. Scott is a 2010 Mentor.

Here is a story about the one time I hung out with Scott: 8 Things I Learned About Twitter, Facebook & Blogging Over Coffee With a BIG Blogger.

Dave Ramsey. The Dave Ramsey name is synonymous for personal financial advice. I’ve never met Dave, but have read tons of books and heard lots of talks on both video and radio. I’ve helped nearly a dozen volunteers lead Financial Peace groups using Dave’s material, all without any interaction with Dave or his team of people. His resources have been made extremely easy to access, understand and implement. Dave is a great 2010 Mentor.

Here is an article I wrote recently that is the result of Dave’s influence in my life: Forget the Joneses, Be Different! 25 Ways to Save $100k

Other 2010 mentors for me are Carlos Whittaker (I follow through social media), Francis Chan (books I’m reading) & Matt Chandler (podcasts I follow). Do you have a 2010 Mentor?  Let us know about them!

If you enjoy TheWayItCouldBe.com, subscribe to get email updates above by clicking on the the handy envelope at the top of the page. Check out The 2010 Mentor: How to Find One and How To Become One.  This post talks about locating people and resources that can help you grow in a particular area.  It also discusses ways you can give back and be a 2010 Mentor!

So I was working yesterday and saw a guy walk up to my friend’s car, look around and hop on in.   In the 10 seconds it took us to run outside, he already had the dashboard removed and was about to rip out the stereo system. Here is what happened when we confronted him…

So if you were a guy, would you have done the same thing we did? For the record, my wife gave me a hard time. What’s crazy is that there is a police station w 40 cop cars 100′ across the parking lot!

Looks like my “confronting a thief gangster voice came out” on the video.  I wish I would have caught him running off; it was pretty funny.  When the cops came out, they said, “I’m surprised you guys didn’t beat the mess out of him.”

I forgive the guy and am praying for him.  Comments??

Re-post from the fall:  I’m still relatively new to the social media scene, but I’ve picked up a few tips on how to avoid making it all about me.  Maybe you’ll pick up a tip here or perhaps you could share one of your own with the rest of us!  Here are 5 Ways to Be Selfless on Twitter or Facebook:

1. Read other people’s stuff and comment. What a great way to show others that you care about what they have to say!  You’d be amazed what you can learn from other people.  Seeing life from another perspective is always a great way to grow!

2. Get to know five other people online today. Read their profile and learn about who they are.  Ask them to tell you more about one of their interests.  Social media is a fabulous way to build relationships with others, but the when the relational aspect is removed it can easily become Social ME-dia!  The minute it becomes about ME, it loses its luster.

3. Find a tweet you like and re-tweet. Don’t be Re-tweet Pete  and re-tweet everything your see, but if you like something someone has to say, share it with others.

4. Try to spend a whole day showing nothing but interest in others. Don’t post anything, unless it is about what you see in someone else. Express interest in anyone but yourself! This reminds us that the earth revolves around something besides us.  Try this for a day and see what happens!

5. When you do write your own stuff, ask questions and initiate conversation. Chances are, you don’t “own” the market on a particular subject.  Anyone who says they have an original thought (including this one) may very well likely be giving testimony to their own lack of perspective.  What a great way to show love by seeking feedback and response from others!

Ed Young said once, “When your ambition ends with you, your ambition will end you.”  What a great reminder! Concerning social media, what did I miss? What are some other ways to make sure social media isn’t just just about me? I’m sure there are a ton of other tips out there, please share!