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Even the real Lone Ranger had Tonto.

Other than close friends and family, do you have someone who is willing to give you advice, help and either a kick in the ass or ego-building  when you need it?

Call this a mentor or a coach–it might be someone in your industry, a business friend, someone from church, a neighbor, whoever it is—they can offer you valuable insights on issues that we all face from time to time.  If you let them—and if you take the first step.

For the longest time, I couldn’t ask for this kind of ‘connection’ either.  It seemed  unprofessional and insecure somehow.  Boy, was I wrong about that.

If you are hesitant and don’t know how to take the first step, here’s what I did.  Maybe it will work for you.

1.  Watch and listen for someone who brings  new insights and knowledge–you want someone with different perspectives and backgrounds.

2.  Have they had some success?  Do you respect them?  If they said  “jump,” would you say “how high?” or would you want to evaluate it even more?

3.  Ask for their advice.  It is literally this easy.

There is one thing people cannot seem to resist—and it is giving advice and/or help.  May I ask you for some advice?—always works.