Inspiring the Inspired – 7 Mentors of Great Historical Figures

 

Inspiration comes in a variety of forms. Many of us look to famous artists, intellectuals, entertainers and world leaders in search of ways to help us think, create, problem-solve and achieve. Yet, even the most famous and respected figures rely on personal mentors and heroes who are often a friend, family member, or teacher—an ordinary person whose wisdom, guidance and support has inspired them to achieve the extraordinary. The following are a few such examples.

A Music Teacher Inspires a President

As the 42nd President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton is widely considered to be one of the most influential people of the 20th century. During his administration, the United States enjoyed more peace and economic well-being than at any other time in its history, and he was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term. Clinton was often thought of as the “People’s President,” thanks to his down-to-earth demeanor and blue-collar appeal. One of his most memorable moments happened when he appeared on the “Arsenio Hall Show” while on the campaign trail. Clinton dazzled the world by showing off his saxophone skills, which he learned from one of the most influential people in his life: Virgil M. Spurlin.
An early influence on a teenage Clinton, Spurlin was the band director at Hot Springs High School. According to Clinton, Spurlin taught him more than just music, and their relationship was part of the reason Clinton decided to go into politics. In interviews, Clinton praises his teacher for always trying to find things that people were good at and for teaching him how to get organized and allocate resources while on yearly band trips. “I really felt that my early years with him convinced me that I could organize and run things. That I could do whatever I wanted to do and that I could actually marshal other people in a common effort, and of course if you’re in politics that’s very important,” said Clinton.
Clinton remained close to Spurlin until he passed away, and their relationship is just one example of how a teacher can inspire a future leader to hit the right notes.

Oprah Winfrey Learns Her Greatest Lesson

Oprah Winfrey is without question one of the world’s most celebrated personalities. She has inspired millions with her television show, magazines, movies and humanitarian efforts. Though, Oprah wasn’t always the strong woman she is today. As a child, she was very insecure but found strength in her fourth grade teacher, Mary Duncan.
Duncan instantly recognized something special in Winfrey and could tell that something was holding her back, so she encouraged her to read aloud for the class, which helped Winfrey overcome her nerves and gain self-confidence. Duncan also stayed after school with Winfrey on a regular basis, taking her under her wing and asking her to help out with classroom tasks. “She helped me choose books and let me help her grade papers,” recalls Winfrey, stressing the importance of their relationship. “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. A mentor is someone who allows you to know that no matter how dark the night, in the morning joy will come. A mentor is someone who allows you to see the higher part of yourself when sometimes it becomes hidden to your own view. I don’t think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship. And we are all mentors to people, even when we don’t know it.”
Many years later, Winfrey’s producers surprised her by bringing Mary Duncan onto the show, something which she describes as one of the most memorable experiences of her life. “My eyes filled with tears, and I said, ‘Mrs. Duncan had a name! Her name is Mary.’ As a child, I hadn’t even considered that Mrs. Duncan might have had a life beyond our class. It was in her class that I really came into myself. After all these years, I could say ‘thank you’ to a woman who had a powerful impact on my early life.”

To be continued!

Join us as we evolve the first generation of hybrid leaders this Saturday the 15th of November 2014 @ TRIEDENT SUITES - 14a, Ladipo Oluwole Street, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos. Nigeria.
Time: 9:00am Prompt.

Don't die old, die empty. - Dr Myles Munroe

Oh what a man, what a message, what a mandate. An out pouring of soul for humanity. Die Empty was his message. He had travelled far and wide sending this message to the hearts of everyone who cared less. Live for a purpose, maximize your potential, fulfill your destiny, become the best God created you to be. Don't feed the cemetery with your untapped potential. You have written One book; you can write Ten more, you own a boutique; you can have your Brand outfit and line of fashion, you own a Barbing salon; you can have an industry that produces the machines and materials needed for salon operations, you own a fish farm; you can have processed fish meal, you sell tomatoes at the market; you can own your own brand of processed tomatoes. Do more, Be more, Live more. The cemetery today is filled with unrealized dreams, inventions, innovations and potentials. Go to the cemetery and rob it. Don't die old, die empty. These were his heart invigorative words.

Indeed we are eternally grateful to you sir for giving all of yourself to humanity. You have emptied it all for us. Your death is not a lose but a plus as you have raised successors all across the world just like Jesus who died as one but through his death he raised many to glory. Though it appears we have lost something precious but in reality we have gained something eternal. Hence your death is no loss in itself but was swallowed up in victory.

Have you been inspired, motivated by Dr Myles Munroe, If yes, please take a moment to say a word of prayer for the family and share your testimony on this blog. Kindly use the ash tag #dieempty.

 

See how the Foundation gives hope to people.

Just when it seems all hope were lost for a promising gospel music artiste - Omo Praise Omojugbagbe popularly known as “Omopraize”,  The Foundation Scholarship Initiative (FGSI) steps In with a sponsorship support of the sum of N500,000 (Five hundred thousand naira) for his Audio CD production, thereby fulfilling the foundation's mandate of giving hope to people and helping them fulfill their dreams.

Tyler Perry - Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings

What I've found about it is that there are some folks you can talk to until you're blue in the face--they're never going to get it and they're never going to change. But every once in a while, you'll run into someone who is eager to listen, eager to learn, and willing to try new things. Those are the people we need to reach. We have a responsibility as parents, older people, teachers, people in the neighborhood to recognize that.

THE MENTORMORPHOSIS Is the initiative of Faithgane Foundation to cause a conversion in mind (Psyche) “improved way of thinking”...

The word MENTORMORPHOSIS was coined from two ‘Common’ English words: Mentorship and Metamorphosis to form The ‘Uncommon’ Mentormorphosis.

MENTORship + metaMORPHOSIS = MENTORMORPHOSIS.

MENTORship is a voluntary developmental relationship between two people, a ‘Mentor’ usually more experienced or more knowledgeable who is willing to help guide another individual’s growth, usually a ‘Mentee’ who is less experienced or less knowledgeable but submissive and ready always to serve.

The person who is receiving mentoring may also be referred to as a protégé (male), a protégée (female), or an apprentice but most recently used as a mentee.

metaMORPHOSIS is a process of an irreversible conversion in form from a distinct immature or juvenile stage to a distinct mature or adult stage. A subject taught often in Biology as a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

The Etymology Dictionary refers to it as a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.

The British dictionary would refer to it as a complete change of character, appearance e.t.c. For example when a person or thing undergoes metamorphosis there will observable differences.

From the dictionary definitions above we see that metamorphosis applies to a person as much as it does an insect.

The word metamorphosis has its root in the Greek from the word “Meta-“ meaning “Change” and “Morphe” meaning “form”. That is to Change in form – to transform or to transfigure.

 

THE MENTORMORPHOSIS Is the initiative of Faithgane Foundation to cause a conversion in mind (Psyche) “improved way of thinking” and in form (Appearance, Character) “improved way of living” in the lives of people within the African society through a process of continuous mentoring. 

To further buttress this initiative, we would attempt to distinguish and show the relationship between a Leader and a Mentor.

Difference between A Leader and A Mentor – By Definition:

A Leader is someone who guides and commands a person or group of people toward one objective.

A Mentor is someone usually more experience that helps and guides the development of some other person or group of people with less experience or knowledge.

 The Relationship between Leadership and Mentorship

1.      Mentorship is the little extra in Leadership

2.      Every Mentor is a Leader but not all Leaders are Mentors

3.      You are not a mentor until you are first a leader

4.      The leader’s interest is in where he is going, but the mentor’s interest is in who is following

5.      The Leader may have followers, but the Mentor have successors

6.       The Leader’s focus is on the objective or set goals but the Mentor’s focus is on the development of the one being lead.

 

Our Objectives At The Mentormorphosis

1.      To cause a shift in paradigm from the “Common” Leadership ideology to the “Uncommon” Mentorship Philosophy. #theuncommoncommon

2.      To encourage and support the practice of mentoring

3.      To inform, educate and inspire the need for mentoring as a tool for sustaining economic growth.

4.      To use mentorship as a tool in stimulating Pan-Africanism

5.      To bridge the development divide in Africa with key focus on disoriented, discontented youths.

6.      To promote scholarship awards for talented youths across Africa.

 

Faithgane Convictions

1.      The failure we see in our leadership is as a result of the lack of Mentorship

2.      Africa reformation is possible only when mentorship is amplified in all sectors
3.      There can be no steady economic growth in Africa without mentorship
4.      The human capacity development of Africans in the 21^st century will be the result of direct mentoring.

“The mentors in my life, inspired me to fulfill my highest potential.” Lailah Gifty Akita

Lailah Gifty Akita is a Ghanaian and founder of Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation. She obtained a BSc in Renewable Natural Resources Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana. She also had MPhil in Oceanography at the University of Ghana. She is PhD-Student, Studying Geosciences at International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles-Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany (2011 to date). Lailah is an influential lady with the passion of empowering the mind of young people to make a great difference.

THE 1st Evolution of hybrid leaders. A must Attend!

Invitation As A Special Guest Participant On Mentorship And Africa Revolution.
FaithGane Foundation is a non-governmental organization whose interest is to raise a people who are disciplined, excellent, and orderly through mentorship and training programmes aimed at making them champions for world impact.

Consequently, the foundation is hosting its first Mentorship Conference (The Mentormorphosis - Evolution of Hybrid Leaders).

Theme: Mentorship And Africa Revolution

Date: Saturday November 15th, 2014.
Time: 9:00am
Venue: TRIEDENT HOTEL – 14a, Ladipo Oluwole Street, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja.

You are hereby invited as a special guest participant on the following:

Paper Delivery;

1. The failure in Leadership – the lack of mentorship

2. Understanding the place of Vision in Mentorship
3. The Art of Mentorship – Understanding the Mentor -2- Mentee relationship

Topics of Discuss;

1. Mentorship and Pan-Africanism
2. The role of Mentorship in sustainable economic growth for Africa
3. The role of Mentorship and youth employability
4. The failure in Leadership – the lack of mentorship

We also have an opportunity for advert placement in the following media:
·         Exhibition of your products and services
·         The Encounter – Champions journal for global impact (Our quarterly Magazine)
·         Banner (Back drop & Portrait)  
·         The Mentormorphosis Exercise Notebook

Kindly contact the following phone numbers; 07939101203, 09094819615 for enquiry.  
Join us as we evolve the 1st generation of hybrid leaders

 

Thank you for your valued response.

Sign:

 

Owen Iyiewuare

Secretary General
Faithgane Foundation