Traits of a Good Mentor

The co-founder and chief executive officer of Logic20/20 in Seattle, Washington, Christian O'Meara advises companies on a range of technology and general business issues. Christian O'Meara is also a firm proponent of mentorship.

A recent article in Forbes Magazine echoed his belief that one cannot be a mentor without also being a mentee. Forbes contributor Mary Abbajay ranked a “learning attitude” among the top qualities of an effective mentor, contending that the best teachers remain interested in learning throughout their lives.

Of course, a good mentor must have considerable knowledge in a particular area of expertise, but they should also have a number of other traits. For example, they should be both generally available and committed to the mentoring relationship.

Mentors must also have overall skills in the development of others. Forbes lists active listening, self-reflection, and effective feedback delivery as key to this development. Other key traits of a good mentor include humility and honesty. Honesty becomes particularly important when it comes to sharing both successes and failures.

Mentorship - A Key to Good Decisions and Personal Growth

Christian O’Meara is an established presence in the Seattle entrepreneurial community who leads Logic20/20 and provides technology-focused business development solutions across a wide range of industries. One foundational aspect of Christian O’Meara’s ethos is using the power of mentorship to achieve life success.

In a Logic20/20 Insight article, Mr. O’Meara gives a personal example of this in his decision, while in his mid-30s, to move from a traditional corporate job into one of owning and operating his own company. At age 40, he was faced with another critical turning point, when the chance arose to acquire his partner’s portion of the entity.

In each of these situations, the questions and doubts that arose when considering the opportunities and risks were profound, and he felt very much alone. The only way he could confidently move forward was to consult with a network of eight trusted mentors, who ranged from a self-made billionaire to a professional with a PhD. Through putting together various pieces of advice with his own intuitive sense of the situation and deep business knowledge, fundamentally sound decisions could finally be made.

On the flip side, Mr. O’Meara has mentored a wide range of individuals, from those he coaches on youth rugby and soccer teams to an Apache helicopter pilot transitioning from the battlefield to civilian life. He finds mentoring to be extremely educational, as it is not only profoundly humbling, but takes the mentor outside his or her own bubble. As he describes it, no teenage athlete cares about the accomplishments of the coach in the professional world – so don’t be offended if the advice isn’t always taken.