GREAT MENTORS IN HISTORY

“Mum guess what we learnt in career day in school today,” asked eight-year-old Amaka. There had been a career fair at her school, and she could not wait to share all the details with her mother. “Well, why don’t you tell me” her mother replied. There had been a session on mentoring and leadership at the career fair. They also learnt about some of the notable mentors in history. Here are some of the ones Amaka shared with her mother.

Warren Buffet and Bill Gates

 Who would have thought that Bill Gates, one time richest man in the world, would need a mentor? It proves that no matter who you are, there is always someone who knows better than you. No one has a monopoly on knowledge. Bill met his mentor at a dinner organized by his mother. He later confessed that he could not fathom what he and the stocks man could have in common at the time. However, Buffett will go on to be instrumental in helping him set up the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Socrates and Plato/Plato and Aristotle/Aristotle and Alexander the Great

This chain shows the power of mentoring and leaving a legacy. The chain began from Socrates, who was a teacher to Plato. Plato, in turn, spread the teachings and philosophy of his mentor. He passed these teachings to Aristotle in a village in Macedonia. Aristotle then passed it on to Alexander the Great. This trio understood the importance of mentoring in preserving legacies and philosophies. Their teachings have since been passed on to thousands of generations,

Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey

Poet and activist Maya Angelou mentored the famous self-made billionaire. Winfrey referred to her as a mentor-sister-friend. She had known Maya since the start of her career in her 20s. Angelou taught Winfrey that relationships fundamentally depends not on who a person says he/she is, but how they act towards you and others. The big talk show queen never took any of the words lightly.

 Jesus and his disciples

Jesus Christ can be called the mentor of mentors. From the beginning of his ministry, he was a great source of inspiration to many. Any man that can successfully mentor two men is worthy of praise. Talk more of Jesus who had 12 close disciples/mentees and thousands that learnt from him from afar. He was so successful that after his departure, his disciples were able to continue his teachings. They became mentors to others too, so much so that they were called “Christians” In Antioch because they acted like him. And thousands of years after, many still follow his teachings through the Bible.

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no training in the scriptures. They also recognized them as the men who had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NLT

Benjamin E. Mays and Martin Luther King

The famous activist also had someone who was his guide on this path called life. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Benjamin Mays as his “spiritual mentor”. King was a student at the Morehouse College, where Mays was president (from 1940-1967). Mays as president used to deliver the weekly address at the college’s chapel services. King would follow Mays to his office, and they would discuss theology. According to King, Mays influenced his ministerial aspirations.

Jethro and Moses

The famous biblical duo also showed an excellent mentor-mentee relationship. Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law, but this did not deter him from giving the younger man advice. Jethro advised Moses when Moses had some challenges addressing all the issues brought by the Israelites. He taught him how to delegate duties, which made the work easier for him to do.

These are a few of the mentors we have seen and heard of from history. This goes further to show that mentoring is not just a trend that came out of nowhere. Real men who want to succeed have adopted it to preserve their legacies and help shape a better future.

 Thank you for reading. Do you know any other mentors from history? Please share it with me. I will be in the comment section.