Adopted Quote by Shellye Archambeau
“Throughout my career, I had a lot of mentors, and I just adopted them. What I found is that, especially if you're young, when you go up to people and say, 'Would you mind being my mentor?,' their eyes widen. They literally step back. What they're thinking about is the commitment and time involved if they say yes. And time is something they don't have. So I would not ask them to be my mentor, but I would just start treating them like it. And that worked very well for me.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Business Journal, 2019
She advises bypassing formal mentorship requests by informally treating senior figures as mentors, gaining guidance without imposing on their limited time.
In simple terms: Seek mentorship by example, not by asking.
Key Takeaway
Build relationships through respectful engagement.
Themes
leadership
career development
networking
learning
Mood
pragmatic
reflective
Type
advice
motivational
When to use this quote
- corporate meetings
- industry conferences
- team projects
- professional events
Key Concepts
informal mentorship
relationship building
time constraints
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you demonstrate mentorship qualities without formal titles?
- What boundaries ensure mutual benefit?
A Different Perspective
May not replace deep, structured mentorship.
