Memoirs Q29: Can you discuss a Mentor or Role Model who has influenced your Personal or Professional growth?

I wish this was one question I could easily, and positively answer. I've even had at least four chances for me to deliver a speech to share my thoughts about being an apprentice in one way or another. But it's hard when you can't specify having a mentor, role model or sensei. No one has ever earned the right to be called said role model, it just is. I would have wnated one - lord knows that could have helped me during my early years as a professional. Unfortunately, I never had one. Sure, I had a few friends who could give me advice - but never a mentor.

James from I/ACT acted as a hands-off lead so long as he saw that you were competent. Even Cris was, on occasion, someone who helped - but otehr friends said he wasn't really a friends to me - or spoke unkidly when I was not around. Ah well... Then among friends, I had peers - but never a mentor. Sure, we'd teach each other some life lessons once in a while, but this was more a friend sharing his experience for our sake, and not someone taking me under their wing. Dave, John, EJ (Jingo) - these firends from different groups conversed with me, gave advice,asked for mine as well. As I said - more of peers sharing colective experience best practices.

Now in terns of books... ah, here's where I learned a lot of ideas from varios authors. Steven Covey - thru his 7 Habits for Highly Effective People may be the most influencial. Then we have the Hersey-Blanchard tandem for Situational Leadership, Seth Godin, Robert Cialdini, Tom Peters, just to name a few. I learned mostly by reading - and in the process, collated ideas, best practices and practical tips from a variety of authors. They can be considered my literary mentors.