Thinking back on the range of mentors I’ve had throughout my career, I've concluded that most fit into two categories. The first belongs to the nurturers: people who invested energy and care into helping me improve my craft, guided me through the nuances of office politics, or lifted me after a career faceplant. A second, the helpers, is a muddier designation.
Many nurturers are also helpers who, among other generous acts, advocated for my hire or recommended me for prestigious gigs. But some helpers also taught me valuable lessons on how not to behave by, say, undermining me when speaking to other more senior colleagues or critiquing how I spoke, dressed or showed emotions in the office — including a time I burst into tears after receiving news that a loved one had died.
