For me, a mentor is an independent ear for a chief executive that can help you on two fronts, personal and business.
I was surprised when I first started to work with David. I was a little bit suspicious but after the retreat and first quarter I found the relationship very useful. I quickly came to regard David as a personal friend, rather than a mentor… but a personal friend who invoices you!
David, especially in the retreat, helped me to step out of my shadow. The framework we built for our relationship, combined with the support he afforded me, helped me become more confident.
Part of our work together involved going for a two hour walk-and-talk around a lake. I would disclose what was troubling me and he would share the stories of his life, and the lessons learned from them, that he felt were applicable. Despite his success, David is a humble man. That attribute is admirable and it induces trust. In our conversations, there was never a lecturing dynamic. It was always sincere, honest, rich, authentic discourse between friends.
I spend quite a bit of my time in discussion with David thinking and recalibrating how I want the team chemistry to work, so I can enable and empower them to do what I need them to do, rather than manage them all.
There is almost something very Buddhist in David’s thinking. I find his counsel simultaneously grounding and transcendental.
There have been half a dozen jewels and nuggets that have been incredibly invaluable for me. Like … how do I define my own personal happiness? How do I centre myself as an individual so that therefore I can be centered in what I do? What doesn’t matter and what does matter?
David is empathetic, considered, honest, understanding, practical and experienced. David is wise.
David has an amazing talent to pull together all sorts of related ideas. David connects emotionally which allows for truth, authenticity and openness.
Half the battle to be a successful leader in an organization is to begin to know what you don’t know. David is very good at is helping you know what you don’t know.
