I had no idea what a mentor was when I ‘signed on’ with David.
I’d just moved into my first chief executive role. Challenging is not an apt word to describe what I faced.
My company had a huge debt and a business model that was just never going to deliver. I had to evaluate every aspect of the problems we faced in a completely realistic way. I had to put together a sound plan and sell it to the board.
I was confident that I could do the job, but I was not averse to having some help. Within an hour of first meeting David, I was completely confident that my betterment was his only agenda. I knew we could work together.
My initial plan would have moved the company in a very different direction. As it turned out, my initial plan was amended numerous times. That process was very trying. I’d never have been able to accomplish what I did had I not had David as my mentor.
From a business perspective, one of David’s many strengths is that he does understand how to drive value in a company. He has a good feel for who your customers are. You can’t help but feel that he is perfectly capable of doing your job, and doing it very well.
He knows how to unlock the potential in people. He knows how teams work. He knows what kind of people you need on your team.
He is obviously a man of integrity and honesty. He tells you the hard truths. He won’t make you feel good all the time, so if you want a feel good mentor, don’t work with David.
When David leaves people, he leaves behind something special. He becomes part of their mindset. They are continuously asking themselves, “What would David think about this?” That’s a phenomenal gift he has and you’ll be fortunate if he bestows the gift of his Self upon your Self.
