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2. Can’t change jobs? Spread your wings. Volunteer for task forces or projects your advocate/mentor
is not involved in. If the project is important, is multi-functional and has a real outcome which will be
taken seriously, it is one of the most common developmental events listed by successful executives.
Such projects require learning other functions, businesses, or nationalities. You can get out of your
own experience and start to see connections to a broader world—how international trade works or
how the pieces of your organization fit together. Your performance will also be seen as yours and part
of the project’s and not connected with your advocate/mentor.

3. Ready to explore? Try something new. Do things in your job that you have not done before.
Broaden your experience base. In your unit there are things to start up or fix, problems to confront,
etc. Pick three tasks you’ve never done and volunteer to do them. If you don’t know much about
customers, work in a store or handle customer complaints; if you don’t know what engineering does,
go find out; task trade with someone; write a strategic plan for your unit.

4. Need variety? Locate some additional role models. You have learned great stuff from your
advocate/mentor but it’s time to add some new stuff. Pick a person in the organization who is different
in some aspects from your advocate/mentor. Observe what they do and how they do it. They are as
successful as your advocate/mentor but do it in other ways. If possible, ask for a meeting/lunch to
discuss their success and the things they have learned. See if they have any interest in teaching you
something and being a temporary coach. Get to know other potential advocates on- and off-work. Go
for maximum variety in the towering strengths they possess.

5. Ready to take on more responsibility? Perform more independently. What do you take for
granted that your advocate/mentor does for you? How are they helpful? Do they help you make final
decisions? Start making the decisions yourself. Get you invitations to special events? Get them on
your own. Share interesting information? Get it from other sources. Help you prepare important
presentations? Do a few by yourself. Cover your mistakes? Fix them yourself. Pass on feedback from
others to you? Go talk to the originators on your own. Try to think about all the things you rely on your
advocate/mentor for and try to begin to perform more independently.

6. Seen as a proxy for your manager? Avoid overusing your advocate/mentor. One common
problem of being with a boss or advocate too long is that you might get in the habit of acting in their
absence or on their behalf. You may take on their authority. You might even get in the lazy habit of
saying “Larry” would like it this way or “Larry” would approve or not approve of this when that isn’t
literally true. People may get in the habit of passing information to you because they know it will get to
Larry. People may pass things by you and ask how you think Larry would react to it. People may ask
you what Larry is really like because they are having some difficulty with him. All of these types of
things are natural consequences of your special relationship with Larry, but they can just as well
backfire longer-term in your career. Don’t use Larry’s name, use your own.

7. Need to develop courage? Take more risks. If you have trouble standing alone because you have
been overly dependent upon an advocate/mentor, increase the risks you take on your own. Stake out
a position on an issue that will require some courage and where you know there will be some
detractors. Prepare by rehearsing for tough questions, attacks, and countering views. Don’t use your
advocate/mentor. Talk to yourself. Pump yourself up by focusing on your strengths.

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