Successful individuals receive endless mentorship requests. Instead of helping everyone or no one, they should focus their limited time on 'multipliers'—people whose position or potential allows them to influence and develop many others. This strategy scales a leader's wisdom and impact.

A mentor isn't someone who provides step-by-step instructions. The most powerful learning comes from finding someone you admire and closely observing their every move, how they speak, and how they behave in the face of obstacles, rather than seeking direct guidance.

Persisting with prospects who are not fully committed, even if they meet some criteria, is a sacrifice of your integrity. Taking their money when you know you cannot deliver optimal results undermines your value and guarantees a poor outcome for both parties.

When a mentor offers direct advice, responding with 'yeah, but...' is a clear sign that the mentee is not truly open to help. This defensive reaction quickly exhausts a mentor's patience and goodwill, causing them to withdraw their time and energy.

Despite delivering excellent sales numbers, a sales VP was reprimanded by her mentor for being too task-focused and ignoring colleagues. The mentor's message was clear: how you treat people is more important than the revenue you generate. This highlights a focus on long-term character development.

Busy, successful people mentor others because they find joy in watching that person grow. Mentees must show they are applying the advice and getting results. This demonstrates a return on the mentor's time and emotional investment, ensuring their continued engagement.

After setting a 100-year company sales record, a salesperson was harshly rebuked by his manager for letting his future pipeline run thin. The mentor's message, 'This is not acceptable, not from you,' wasn't about numbers but about upholding professional standards, even at the peak of success.

A common pitfall in mentorship is developing emotional dependency. Mentors should provide support, advice, and guidance for your professional growth, but they are not a place for codependency or a substitute for a therapist or parent. Keeping this boundary clear is crucial for a healthy and effective relationship.

For short-term mentoring to be impactful, it must be painful. The goal isn't gentle guidance but to make an overlooked opportunity or flaw so painfully obvious that the mentee is jolted into action, partly to prove the mentor wrong. It's 'crash therapy'—uncomfortable but highly effective at driving change.