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 sales principle—'You can't be more committed than your prospect'—applies directly to mentorship. A mentor's energy should mirror the mentee's. When a mentee stops applying advice, the mentor must pull back to avoid burnout and wasting effort on someone not committed to their own success.

Goldcast's founders actively connected their marketing leader with an experienced CMO and sponsored the engagement. This demonstrates a powerful, tangible investment in professional development that accelerates a leader's growth in navigating executive and board-level challenges.

While acknowledging the benefit of having mentors, Herb Wagner has found that the process of being a mentor is even more educational. Teaching and guiding others forces a deeper understanding of one's own principles and provides fresh perspectives from the next generation, offering greater personal and professional growth.

To build relationships with potential mentors or sponsors, replace the extractive ask of "Will you mentor me?" with the value-added offer of "How can I help you?". This non-transactional approach demonstrates your worth, builds genuine rapport, and makes influential people want to invest in your career.

True power comes from 'say-do correspondence.' When you tell someone to do something and a good thing happens for them as a result, they are psychologically conditioned to comply with your future requests. This earned influence is far more potent than inherited status.

Simply paying for and attending a mastermind doesn't guarantee a return. The ROI is earned by how you show up. Proactively lead with value by offering resources, making introductions, and supporting others. Trust, built through these micro-moments, is the group's most valuable currency.

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.

True long-term impact comes from mentoring and developing people, not just hitting business targets. Helping others succeed in their careers creates a ripple effect that benefits individuals and companies, providing a deeper sense of fulfillment than any single project or promotion.