BECOME A PROMOTER
If you believe the one you are mentoring has the potential to be a better version of yourself, you have the power and responsibility to make that public knowledge. This is not about building up someone’s ego. It’s about promoting the next leader. In 2014, I had the privilege of hiring my brother to come on our team and be my worship arts assistant. He can pretty much do everything I can do, and he is nine years younger than me. I believe that he will surpass me in the music arts of our church, and I would be foolish to try and hold him back. To hold him back would be a disservice to him and our church. So, to be proactive about mentoring him, I immediately started promoting him and his abilities to my team and the people in our church. I would often tell people that he is a better musician and media artist than I am, and it’s the truth. I told people that he was “Durbin 2.0,” new and improved with all the upgrades. I believe that, and because of my position I have the unique opportunity to elevate and promote him to those I have garnered respect from. To not promote someone that has the potential to be a better version of you is an admission of your own personal fear and pride.
When we are not proactive about mentoring, we run the risk of being an enemy and roadblock to progress. Our fear of being upstaged blinds us from our power to replace ourself with the next great leader. That’s an incredible power and responsibility.
If we’re not careful, we will miss out on having a living legacy and will watch our legacy die with us.
