We often hear that “experience is the greatest teacher” and that “teamwork makes the dream work.” But sometimes, a great teacher or mentor working alongside you can make all the difference. For example, Luke Skywalker and Daniel-san grew from underdogs to the heroes of their stories, thanks to wisdom from Master Yoda and Mr. Miyagi. In turn, both wise sages gained lifelong, supportive friends in their students.
While we don’t have ancient Jedis in real life, a transformative mentorship might just be around the corner, especially for those who seek it.
THE STUDENT BECOMES THE MASTER
People don’t become mentors overnight. More often than not, those who become mentors have significant experience and knowledge to back them up. While technical knowledge is necessary in almost any field, it’s the “soft skills” and experience that mentors refine and apply to their professions that give them an edge.
One of AfMA’s mentors, Tristan Gerrish of Octane Systems recalled that he’s had several mentors himself. “I’ve had […] a range of mentors throughout my career. I don’t think I’ve ever not had a mentor, but for the past—I think it’s about 12 years now—I’ve had one mentor that has really shaped me,” he said. In Tristan’s case, he’s had mentors in both formal and informal settings, all supporting both his professional and personal journey.
“You can listen to as many podcasts […] as you want but at the same time—dealing with someone that’s got that lived experience—for me, it’s just been one of the biggest things that’s impacted my life,” Tristan explained. “From an EQ and IQ perspective it challenged me to grow and being a mentor within this program and outside of AFMA was to give back to people that are looking for similar growth in their life and career.”
THE GIVE AND TAKE
Mentorship is two-way street. One may have the label of mentor and the other mentee, but it is not a purely transactional relationship. Those who become mentors voluntarily invest their time and wisdom into helping someone else but along the way receive other benefits.
“It’s a two-way relationship and you never stop learning,” said David Cross, CEO of Liberty Signs. David is another of AfMA’s many skilled mentors who have taken the time to pass on their knowledge to passionate fleet professionals. “Mentorship is a great way to sharpen your leadership capability and really get the opportunity to work with others and build your network.”
There’s plenty of room for the mentor to grow in this set-up, not just the mentee. It’s a great way to work on one’s flexibility and ability to lead and provide solutions in different situations. More than that, it’s an even greater opportunity to learn how to listen—a valuable skill for every leader to sharpen.
LEARNING PERIPHERALLY
Though he’s recently left the fleet industry, mentor Michael Hasten retained a bevy of transferrable skills that he has developed over the years. This experience has given him multiple perspectives on issues surrounding the fleet industry and professional development in general.
” There’s a lot of parallels with what the fleet industry is going through as to what other industries are going through. And I think it’s an opportunity to mine insights from people that may be thinking differently,” he explained. “People don’t know [skills] are transferrable until they actually take the plunge and transfer it.”
In terms of mentoring, Michael pulls from his varied experience and leverages it to help someone else. For him, it’s not all about the mentor imposing one way to do things but rather seeing eye-to-eye with the other party and understanding their challenges. “I don’t think a lesson of mentoring is having the right answers. It’s actually understanding what you know, what keeps [people] ticking,” he added.
“Everyone’s professional journey is unique, and mentorship can help someone develop themselves at a deeper level with the proper guidance. A piece of advice may work for one but trouble another. As long as you’re within the guardrails on your journey, you don’t have to compare yourself to people on theirs.”
“That’s the joy of it and I think the beauty of any journey is […] who you meet along the way,” Michael concluded.
Viewing a career path as a singular and lonesome pilgrimage can be very a limiting experience. But when one is open to accepting help from others, guidance, and the general twists and turns of life, a career becomes more than just a means to an end, but rather a deeper part of one’s life.
The AfMA mentoring program is a free member program that supports the fleet industry. If you want to gain access to an AfMA mentor like these great professionals, visit our page here.
Lastly, AfMA would like to thank Tristan, Michael, and David for making a difference in and shaping the future of the industry.
