Mentoring One of the biggest downsides to running your own show or being the man at the top of a small business is the loneliness. One of the benefits of working in a company is the opportunity to meet and share with people on a regular basis. Running your own business is where life can be very lonely - on the other hand you may need to be away from people in order to achieve what you want.

I have enjoyed the support and inspiration of many mentors. In one situation, I employed a mentor to help me brainstorm things that I found difficult to work out. In other cases, I found people with a particular interest in an area that I was lost in. As a director you will need people that you can confide in - people you can share things with that you know will not go further and never be thrown back in your face. This is the real value of a mentor, they have your best interests at heart and want to see you succeed. They will never through back at you what you have told them in confidence.

So, how do you find your mentor? I have found mentors in all sorts of places but mostly through my networking activies. See the section on networking for some of the organisations that I have found helpful in meeting the right people.

One of the key characteristics of mentors is that they have no axe to grind - they are interested in their subject and in your success. You might find you need a number of different mentors to help you in different areas that you are unfamiliar in. You might find people who will act as a mentor because they get personal value from this and don't charge for their time.

Don't forget that one of the best ways to make friends is to be a friend - offer to be a mentor in your area of expertise to someone else - you might do this free if it doesn't take too much time.

Don't forget some key guiding principles of personal development.