Were you lucky enough to have a mentor or role model in life and/or in your career? It might be one person or it may be several people. We’ve certainly learned about several mentors over the past few months in our new content series featuring women in the professional carwashing industry. 

More than a guide or trainer, a mentor can be best described as a support leader. And, this support is everlasting, even if you no longer work with your mentor or role model.

Several people believed in, encouraged and gave me opportunities throughout life, not just in my career. I’ve seen the power of a mentor because I am a product of several. My mentors pushed me in uncomfortable positions, helped develop important skills and yes, let me make mistakes to gain the experience needed for later. 

Being a mentor is natural for most people who are. These leaders have an innate ability to lead.

As a business owner, it is your responsibility to encourage a mentoring environment — a winning culture. The power and contagious nature of people impacting other people is not something a machine or AI can currently duplicate.

How has technology, which tends to separate employees as well as personal interactions, shorter attention spans due to instant gratification and the need for convenient, on-demand services, which can all create distant, chaotic and stressful workplaces, impacted traditional leadership and mentorship at work? 

One article headline posted in July 2019 on Forbes notes, “76% of people think mentors are important, but only 37% have one.”

As it should be, the person or people who must have the most vested interest in encouraging mentorship are the ones at the top who are most invested in the business. 

Previous video interviews in Carwash.com’s Unscripted series with our friends over at WhiteWater Express Car Wash and authors and consultants David Begin and Matt Brunk with CarwashOS extensively cover what it takes to elevate leadership standards and build a winning culture, specifically at carwashes.

“You hear the term ‘fit in.’ [As a business owner] that to me is beautiful when I’m hearing that. If the rest of the organization is keeping a high standard but someone is not matching up to those high standards, the culture can self-correct itself,” explained Begin in our Unscripted interview. 

With the current challenges and associated expenses of poor hiring, proper staffing, especially in leadership roles, is more vital than ever before.