The Greek Odysseus' friend Mentor + Jack Canfield: Finding a Mentor

In Greek mythology, 'Mentor' (Greek language | Greek: 'Μέντωρ/Méntōr'; gen.: έντορος)Mentor was the son of Alcumus and, in his old age, a friend of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War he placed Mentor in charge of his son,Telemachus, and of his palace.The Greek storyteller Homer tells of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. In this tale, Odysseus asked his friend Mentor to watch over his son Telemachus while he fought in the Trojan War. Mentor was a faithful friend of Odysseus who was left behind on Ithaca as Telemachus' tutor; he was wise, sober, and loyal. Telemachus was just entering manhood and was very self-conscious about his duty and his father's reputation as a hero, which he felt he must live up to.

In this classic tale you can see that mentoring is one of the oldest forms of influence. Mentoring as a tool can be a powerful and popular way for people to gain personal and professional skills.

Synonyms: consultant, counselor, counsel, recommend, adviser, coach, counsellor, guide, instructor, teacher, trainer, tutor