Extract
In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus left Mentor, an old and trusted
friend, in charge of his household. In that capacity, Mentor guided the growth
and development of Telemachus, Odysseus' son, for the twenty years that
Odysseus spent fighting in and returning from the Trojan War. Historically
then, mentoring was a relationship between a protégé and a more
experienced and wiser friend. While Mentor was a remarkably sagacious advisor,
his personal investment makes clear that this quality lies at the heart of
successful mentoring.