Comments on: What Mentors Can’t Teach You, Anti-Mentors Can

By: Shane

Shane — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:16:31 +0000

Hi Ron,

Thanks! Anti-mentors are tragic heroes in some ways. A lot of times they mean well. They just don’t have the tools to lead effectively so they try to lead by force.

It works for them in the short term, so they keep doing it. Which is part of the tragedy.

By: Ron H

Ron H — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:02:02 +0000

Shane Great article. It is a tragedy that people in leadership roles abdicate their responsibility to lead by allowing toxic emotions to rule them and ruin their reluctant followers. I agree with your point regarding the ceiling. Leadership is a relationship, tearing a strip off someone will not build anything but resentment.

By: blog-thing : Anti-Mentorship

blog-thing : Anti-Mentorship — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:18:30 +0000

[...] out Shane’s full article at Zoomstart. Have you ever had an anti-mentor? Tell everyone a little bit about it in the [...]

By: Goldy

Goldy — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:34:37 +0000

Nice post Shane and so unbelievably true.

By: Shane

Shane — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 01:21:49 +0000

Hi John,

Events like the one in my story are very emotionally charged. He wasn’t aware of how wrong his behaviour was at the time, but he did sort of admit to me later that he’d stepped over the line.

It wasn’t soon after, but yeah, the ceiling eventually did cave in.

Hey Pete,

Thanks! And thanks for sharing your story. I think that micromanagers are one form of anti-mentor (and screamers are another). So that’s a very accomplished anti-mentor you had the privilege of working with – haha

“… I taught you everything you know! …”

That’s very funny. Because ironically, he did teach you something. He just doesn’t know that it’s how NOT to do things.

By: Pete Aldin

Pete Aldin — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:55:04 +0000

Shane, very very well written. I have often thought of a few of these people (I’ve called them Reverse Mentors, but ANTI- is much better). One in particular loved to tear strips off people. The wierdest thing was he ran a non-profit organisation that’s there to be a resource to people, to HELP people. But unfortunately it was all about him. He would choose to micromanage everything, speak at every public occasion (though he is an offensive public speaker) and would refuse to teach any of us younger workers anything (I assume that was insecurity not selfishness) and loved to scream and intimidate people.

I haven’t worked for him for years. Last month, I delivered the “wedding message” during a friend’s wedding ceremony. Afterwards, he rushes up to me and grabs my arm and in a loud voice declares “I taught you everything you know!”

I just laughed.

“Anti-mentors have a leadership ceiling” – they certainly do. His organisation is currently haemoraging people and money. And the only people he now has with him are yes-men and clutzes.

I continue to draw on his life for lessons in “don’t”.

By: The Leadership Qualities | Articles with Successful Leadership Ideas | From Personal Leadership to Organizational Leader these Articles will give you the ideas necessary to Successfully Lead.

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:32:50 +0000

[...] I came across this blog posting that I thought was very interesting about lessons that can be learned from Anti-Mentors, check it out and then come back to read the rest of this posting. [...]

By: John Clark

John Clark — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:07:19 +0000

This is a wonderful writing about how not to lead. Leading by example is fantastic but the ability to recognize how not to lead by someone else’s example is huge.

When that event happened and every was speechless, I wonder how that guy who was dressing that fellow down felt. And I’m sure this gentleman also reached his ceiling shortly after that event.

Here’s to Your LifetoSuccess,

John Clark, LifetoSccess.com

By: Smart Posts Worth Reading #10

Smart Posts Worth Reading #10 — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:00:14 +0000

[...] What Mentors Can’t Teach You, Anti-Mentors Can: Shane has a great story on how anti-mentors can teach you a lot and what you learn from them usually will help you move forward and focus on the solutions instead of the problems. A really great read! [...]

By: Powerful posts 29 July 2007 » Online Community Building

Powerful posts 29 July 2007 » Online Community Building — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 18:14:30 +0000

[...] Navratil from Zoomstart wrote an interesting article entitled ‘What Mentors Can’t Teach You, Anti-Mentors Can‘ – remember you can learn from everyone, not just the [...]