Forfatter: MentorGuru

Thor-Erik Gulliksen is a leading authority and internationally recognized expert in mentoring, coaching, and personal development. With 20+ years of experience in leadership, marketing, education, and training, he has designed mentoring programs that have empowered over 800 individuals to unlock their full potential. As the author of Adepthåndboka and Mentorhåndboka, and the host of the podcast The Talk by Mentorguru, Thor-Erik is a trusted voice for those seeking growth and success. He is known for his engaging workshops, thought-provoking keynotes, and a unique blend of humor and practical tools that inspire both individuals and organizations. His expertise has been acknowledged internationally, making him a sought-after mentor and speaker across borders. Thor-Erik Gulliksen has been recognized as a leading international expert in mentoring, with his work influencing professionals and leaders globally. When he’s not on stage or behind the microphone, Thor-Erik is crafting his next book or article – always driven by his mission to help others grow.
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3 steps to plan your success

Planning is half the job and the results are only as good as your plan

Its a lot of different sayings, but does it make us plan? Does the difference between failure and success lays in a plan? I don’t know, but I do now that with a plan you are more focused… And I believe in focus — focus will get you there.

  1. Sit down and make a plan and set goals.
  2. Just do what your plan says
  3. Reflect over the plan, what you have been done and the outcome

You maybe think this sounds very easy and maybe to easy, but before you reject it try it first.

I think it is so simple, make a plan with goals, do it and then reflect over the result…

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Leadership When It Matters Most: Should Mentoring Be a Part of the Equation? – Part 2

As written in the last post leadership is a critical component of any organization’s success, and it is never more apparent than in times of crisis or when important decisions need to be made. 

Examples of Effective Leadership and Mentoring

Several real-world examples illustrate the positive impact of mentoring in leadership during critical moments:

  1. Nelson Mandela: Mandela’s leadership during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy is often lauded. He leaned on the wisdom of his mentors, including Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, who helped shape his leadership style and approach to reconciliation.
  2. Steve Jobs: While leading Apple through periods of innovation and turbulence, Jobs provided mentorship to key executives like Tim Cook, shaping the future of the company even in his absence.
  3. Winston Churchill: Churchill’s mentorship of key figures in his wartime government, such as Anthony Eden, played a pivotal role in the United Kingdom’s success during World War II.

In times of crisis and when important decisions loom, effective leadership is crucial for an organization’s survival and success. However, leadership is not a solitary endeavor; it is enriched by the inclusion of mentoring. Mentoring can provide invaluable support, knowledge transfer, and skill development for leaders when they need it most.

Leaders who prioritize mentoring during critical moments not only benefit themselves but also contribute to the growth and development of future leaders. As the saying goes, «Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.» By incorporating mentoring into their leadership practices, leaders can better fulfill this essential role, ensuring that they and their teams successfully navigate the challenges that come their way.

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Leadership When It Matters Most: Should Mentoring Be a Part of the Equation? – Part 1

Leadership is a critical component of any organization’s success, and it is never more apparent than in times of crisis or when important decisions need to be made. Whether it’s navigating a global pandemic, facing financial hardships, or dealing with a major industry disruption, effective leadership can make all the difference. But what role does mentoring play in leadership when it matters most? Should leaders prioritize mentorship during challenging times? This article explores the intersection of leadership and mentoring and highlights the benefits of incorporating mentoring into leadership practices during crucial moments.

The Importance of Leadership During Critical Times

Leadership is not just about guiding a team during smooth sailing; it’s about steering the ship through turbulent waters. When an organization faces a crisis or is confronted with a significant decision, strong and visionary leadership becomes paramount. Effective leaders must inspire confidence, provide direction, and offer solutions when the going gets tough. They must also maintain morale, communicate transparently, and adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.

Leadership, however, is not solely about the person in charge but extends to the team as a whole. Leaders are tasked with developing the skills and capabilities of their team members to ensure the organization can overcome challenges collectively.

The Role of Mentoring in Leadership

Mentoring is a practice that involves an experienced individual (the mentor) guiding and supporting a less-experienced person (the mentee) in their personal or professional development. While mentoring is often associated with career growth and skill-building, it also plays a crucial role in leadership development, particularly during times of crisis or important decision-making.

Here are some reasons why mentoring should be a part of leadership when it matters most:

  1. Knowledge Transfer: Mentoring allows experienced leaders to share their wisdom, knowledge, and expertise with emerging leaders. During critical moments, this knowledge transfer can be invaluable in making informed decisions and navigating complex situations.
  2. Emotional Support: Leadership during challenging times can be emotionally taxing. Mentoring provides a safe space for leaders to discuss their concerns, fears, and uncertainties with a trusted mentor, which can help alleviate stress and improve decision-making.
  3. Skill Development: Effective leaders possess a wide range of skills, including communication, adaptability, and problem-solving. Mentoring provides an opportunity for mentees to develop these skills under the guidance of experienced leaders.
  4. Accountability: Mentoring relationships often involve setting goals and tracking progress. This accountability can be particularly beneficial during high-stress periods, ensuring that leaders stay focused on their objectives.
  5. Perspective and Feedback: Mentors can offer valuable outside perspectives and honest feedback, helping leaders make more informed decisions and avoid potential pitfalls.

Read my next blogpost where I write more about this theme.

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Redesigning the Future

«Redesigning the Future» was the theme of this summer’s conference hosted by EMCC Global (digital), the 27th in a row. In these post-corona times, it is quite right to think in new directions. We have seen a boom of webinars and now it is the new channel for us and also the podcast is coming. Our global president Riza Kadilar mentioned in 2019 a coaching app that had 500,000 downloads this summer (2021) the same app 2.5 million downloads.

I do not think anyone will lose the job of a robot, but we must find ways to integrate our work and practice with relevant technology. At the same time, we must also find ways to create digital communities where we can improve the ongoing dialogue between recipients and practitioners.

EMCC focuses on the digital that will play and save role to improve our services and our offerings and at the same time they will also put and special focus on hosting platforms.

In any case, I think I am at the forefront of development when I am a member of an organization with over 10,000 members in 85 different countries that has this as its focus.

At least I’m excited to being part of redesigning the future the EMCC way … what about you?

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How to find a mentor post Covid-19

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

Experts says that mentoring will be even more important after the pandemic. But finding a mentor won’t be easy. So even more important to listen to us «profesionals», Joshua Daniel wrote a good article called «6 Ways to Find a Mentor Post-COVID». He is working in Korn Ferry as a Career Coach and says:

«Judging from the social media profile, it looks like a match. You both share similar interests and experiences. Her posts are both funny and informative, giving the impression that you can laugh and learn from her. She has the experience you don’t (but need). And the best part is that there are mutual connections in common to provide an introduction. So should you ask this person to be your mentor?

Few people question the value of a mentor, but studies show that most workers—54% in one survey—don’t have one. And the pandemic and remote work has only made it harder, of course, given the challenge and awkwardness of trying to find one virtually. “There’s an element of tact needed when approaching someone regarding a potential mentoring relationship.»”

Read the whole article here

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The Five Game Changers of Coaching

I read this post in an email from The coaching Institute and wanted to share it with you. The way we work, where we make our purchases, and spend our time is changing. 

Online coaches get to enjoy living in «the growing side of the economy.» The business advantages are so vast, we call them Game Changers. 

Here they are:

1. You can start with nothing

Most businesses require a specialized background or a sizeable financial investment. Not coaching, except learning coaching skills. 

There’s nothing you have to «bring with you» as a coach except your interest in helping people. 

You don’t need any kind of technological skills or educational background, be a particular age or gender, or live in a particular location. You’re needed just the way you are. 

Coaches can create a thriving coaching practice from home without having to make substantial purchases, learn complicated marketing systems, or even have a website. 

2. You don’t have to take risks

Most career changes involve risk, in that you have to leave your current workplace in order to start your new career. 

This is not the case for coaching! There are many ways to add coaching to your life on your own schedule without taking any career risks. 

For instance:

> Most of our students keep their day job as they study coaching and start developing a paying clientele on the side. 

> Some people choose to keep their current career, while practicing coaching as a meaningful second stream of income. This gives added income security.

Bottom line: as a coach, you get to call the shots. Add coaching to your life in the way that best serves you, without having to take any kind of professional risk. 

3. No Geographical Restrictions

Have you ever thought your income and career were limited by where you live? 

Yes, that used to be true. But it’s not true anymore. 

There are hundreds of millions of people online who are perfectly qualified to be coaching clients – nice, stable people with good incomes who are hoping that coaching will bring improvement to their lives. 

These clients don’t care where you live. What they want is quality coaching that can move their lives forward. You may never meet those clients in person. 

Therefore, as a coach, you can run your business from anywhere in the world, with no restrictions. 

4. Time freedom

Many of us have complex lives, with family, work, or other obligations that occupy our schedules. So it’s important to have a livelihood that is time-flexible. You want to be able to do your work in a way that fits your life.

As a coach, you get to design your coaching practice around your needs. Do you like to keep several days of the week completely free for your own use or for your passion projects? Great. Do you like to keep a whole week work-free every month? Super. Do you like to work until 11am every day and have the rest of the day for other things? It’s your option. 

Whether you have another profession, a full family life, or creative projects you want to work on, coaching gives you the time freedom to grow and develop yourself. 

5. Pandemic proof

The world has changed. Any business or career that requires customers to be physically present is in constant danger of having to close its doors. 

People are having to wake up every morning and check the news to see whether they’re likely to be sent home, or, worse, risk getting sick at work – or bringing sickness home. That’s not how life is supposed to be! 

It’s actually safer to have your own online business, that you get to run from the comfort of your own home. 

Unlike street businesses, which depend on local people to come in every day, as an online coach, you have a massive customer base: everybody on the internet. An online coach only needs 10-20 paying clients at any one time. And there are hundreds of millions of them.

The Sky Is The Limit

Coaching is the ultimate way to get started online. It’s easy to start. It’s purposeful, rewarding, and you learn so much about life and people. 

And if you’ve ever had dreams of doing something else – writing a book or leading groups, for instance, coaching is the perfect way to get there.

Coaching gives you the skills in creating change, a strong knowledge of human nature, and a working confidence in helping anybody make positive changes. It gives you stories of transformation from your coaching practice to share with your public. 

This was a post in an email I received from The Coaching Institute in 2020

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Are you tired of you?

Do you know the feeling of being a little tired of yourself?

A little tired of everyday life? A little fed up with the way things are?

Here’s the good news: Your tiredness can be a good sign. A sign that you need a transformation. Not thinking about a big external transformation, but of an internal transformation. Because when we feel a little tired in life, it is often because something new is calling us. Something that is more true for us. Quite often, unfortunately, we don’t really get anything done about it. And yet: A crisis hits and tickles us even more. A person you meet on your way awakens something in you.

A book you read goes into a deeper way than usual. Your inner pressure is becoming more and more pressing. Something is calling you. A transformation is lurking around the corner. For me, Corona has caused such a transformation. From having a very full life, where many people’s needs were met (perhaps you know that?) I was suddenly «forced» to quite literally be at home and present in the very close. In time, it would also prove to be a way to – in a figurative sense – be more at home in myself. At first I felt resistance. As we often do when something new comes knocking.

Even if we can feel that it is right for us. Then I got angry: «Why did this have to happen». Anger is (also) often a sign that an inner change in you is intruding. And then, after a frustrating time, I try to change my perspective on the situation we were in. Step by step, my approach to the new situation changed.

I started looking at what story I was actually telling myself and the outside world about the Corona situation. I started looking at my beliefs about the consequences of the Corona epidemic (and there were many of them). And I began to look at my perception of my everyday life as it was before and as it was now, in the middle of the storm. And that changed something. Perhaps you have tried the same or something similar?

Transformation is a big challenge. At the same time, it is also a great opportunity. An opportunity to develop. Move forward in life. What do you want to transform?

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Mentoring is a powerful tool

My mentorblog is all about mentoring — what it is, how it works, how you can learn it and also how you can use mentoring to reach your goal!

Mentoring is a powerful and popular way for people to learn a variety of personal and professional skills. In fact, they say that mentoring is one of the oldest forms of influence. And I have been so lucky to work with mentoring and mentoring program for a lot of years now and find it still fascinating.

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How to make yourself happy

In these times with covid-19 it is even more important too allow yourself
to be happy.


– Write down 5 things that make you happy! – 

The reason you should do this is to stimulate an area in 
the brain that produces the happiness 
hormones. Notice what makes you happy 
and do it more...