How to Mentor Someone For a Year
Why does the idea of mentoring someone for a year scare people?
I’ve seen two reasons people hesitate. They feel under qualified or overwhelmed.
If you feel under qualified, waiting to be perfect means you’ll never start. Learning happens by doing.
If it feels overwhelming, there’s a good chance you haven’t learned how to build yourself yet. Focus on your own growth first. But if you’ve done that work and you’re ready, what you need is structure.
This is the structure that works for me:
Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Quarterly. Yearly.
Before We Get Into It
People glamorize mentorship.
They think it’s going to be full of big moments and life-changing conversations. That’s not what it is.
The craziest thing is, growth never comes when you expect it.
I remember being on a call with someone I was mentoring. I didn’t say anything crazy. Nothing profound. And all of a sudden, he just said, “Yo! It just clicked!”
That moment stuck with me.
It reminded me of my role.
I’m not the reason they grow. I’m creating the space where growth happens.
I’ve mentored people where it took months to even build real connection. I’ve mentored people who didn’t see breakthrough until the very end. I’ve mentored people who didn’t see it until after we were done.
So if you think you’re going to be the one who changes their life, you need to adjust your perspective.
It’s not about you. It’s about what you’re planting.
And some of what you plant won’t grow until later.
If you don’t understand that, you’ll quit early.
If you do understand it, you’ll stay consistent.
Daily: Are you living it?
I want them tracking. Not perfectly, just consistently.
Without something to look at, it’s easy to drift.
I’m not just looking for activity. I’m paying attention to alignment.
In any given day I’m trying to answer this question:
“Did you get after what you said you would?”
If their actions don’t match that, we address it.
That’s the work.
Weekly: What’s really going on?
We have a weekly call.
Sometimes it’s quick. Sometimes it goes longer.
I’m not running through a checklist. I’m trying to understand where they’re at.
I’ll start with:
“What’s been going on this week?”
From there, the conversation goes where it needs to go.
What’s been weighing on them.
Where they feel stuck.
What they’re excited about.
I want them to feel like they can talk and be real.
If they’re not honest, we’re not getting anywhere.
Monthly: What are you learning?
We grab coffee or lunch.
I’m not trying to give a bunch of advice here. I’m listening.
They talk more than I do.
I’m asking questions that help them think.
• “What’s been off lately?”
• “Where do you feel like you’re not showing up how you want to?”
• “What do you know you need to change, but haven’t yet?”
I want them to hear themselves.
Clarity usually shows up when they do.
Quarterly: Who are you becoming?
We spend more time together. A half day, something different.
Change the environment.
People open up more here.
I ask bigger questions.
• “If nothing changes, where does your life actually go from here?”
• “What are you avoiding right now?”
• “What’s one thing you know you need to do, but you keep putting off?”
I share more too.
They see how I handle hard seasons in real time.
That matters.
Yearly: Look at who you’ve become!
All year, I’m keeping notes.
Wins. Challenges. Shifts in how they think. Moments that mattered.
So when we sit down at the end of the year, it’s not vague.
I can point to real change.
Where they started. Where they are now.
Most people don’t slow down enough to see that.
This is where they do.
Start your mentoring journey now
Mentoring is one of the most rewarding things I do as a leader.
But you won’t experience that if you don’t step up.
You don’t need permission. You don’t need to be perfect.
You have opportunities in front of you right now. You’re just not taking them.
If you want to lead people, this is one of the clearest ways to start.
Pick one area. Find one person. Commit to a year.
That’s it. 💯