The Three Relational Circles That Everyone Should Be A Part Of

There are three circles everyone should be a part of:

1. Mentor Circle

2. Peer Circle

3. Mentee Circle

The Mentor Circle

- You are teaching and leading others. You’re the voice of reason and direction.

- Those around you help in fulfilling your vision - whether to failure or to success

- The weight of leadership sits squarely on your shoulders, most times no one questions you or knows even to protect you from your flaws because they sit as students to you, their teacher.

- The responsibility of the group’s or the organization’s health and welfare is on your shoulder

The Peer Circle

- Sword sharpening sword, you and those in the circle are helping each other achieve each other’s potential.

- You all keep an eye out for each other’s blind spots, providing insight or even challenge each other when and where it’s due.

- You and your peers bear each other’s burdens.

- You work together, bringing each other’s strengths to the table

- Everyone shares the glory or the blame

- Safety is in your numbers, you’re learning together and your collective knowledge brings security and success—if applied to those things, otherwise it can just be fun and games where nothing actually gets done

The Mentee Circle

- You’re being taught and directed.

- You’re asking questions and receiving answers, generally in areas you either want to advance in or learn

- You have little to no responsibilities outside of your own growth, your desire for knowledge and your capacity to follow the directions of your mentor

- Your outcome is based on your ability to be taught and to catch what’s being exampled

- You’re the student so your mistakes are the responsibility of your mentor—they take the blame for what you lack (because of what you haven’t learned)

- If you’re not fortunate enough to have a direct mentor and are receiving training from a distance, you may misunderstand or misapply what you think you’ve learned and will suffer from your own mistakes instead of gaining wisdom from your mentor’s mistakes

The easiest circle to get into is the Mentee’s circle. A Bible study, a class, a video, a small group, a service, can all be a source of mentorship. Everyone should be a mentee to a mentor, because everyone should be learning and growing. Even the most successful mentor should be learning, in fact no one can truly be a great mentor if they themselves are not continuing to learn and grow.

The second easiest group to be in is the Mentor’s Circle. Once you learn something someone else does not know, you can become a mentor as long as someone is wanting to be a mentee. And everyone should take part in being a mentor in one shape or another. We all should be teaching others what we know that some may not.

The hardest group to be in is a Peer Circle. Most people are trying to outdo each other. Most people want to be at the top, those who don’t clamor for the top want to constantly be carried and taught. Very view want to work together for a common goal.

There are a lot more people who would tell you you’re wrong than strengthen you where you fail. There are a more people who will start something else to capitalize on a mentor’s weakness, than to work together to bridge the gaps and be peers.

Why do you think there are so many churches? Or businesses of the same kind? Or groups with one or two things different than the other?

People want their own thing. They don’t want their glory to be shared. If they find something good, most times they’ll go and do their own thing rather than add their thing to someone else’s. And those who do want to be an addition rather than a substraction, are at times met with a leader/mentor who feel intimidated or undermined, rejecting their mentees advancement and addition—driving that mentee to do their own thing.

But the Peer Circle is something we all should seek to be a part of. We are truly better together. That’s why working together is God’s vision. Not only does it bring about unity, it makes the work greater! This is also why God rejects the proud and gives grace to the humble because the more we submit ourselves to each other, the more ideas come to the table and the more strength is added to the mission and the more gaps are filled and bridges built.

If you’re already a mentor, and especially if you’re a mentor, find a peer group and work on a common purpose. Be vulnerable. Be strong in an area while allowing your weakened areas to either be strengthened or be supported by another. Of course as a mentor it’s more difficult to find a Peer’s Circle, but pray for it. Seek for it.

If you’re a business person, find a network and build each other up. Give a lead, receive a lead. Lend. Borrow. Invest. Do it all together.

If you’re a church leader, work with other church leaders for a common goal. Fill each other’s voids. Instead of seeing faults, find gaps where you can be a bridge. Grab a hand instead of point a finger. Realized a flaw? Why not meet it as a need? Carry one another’s burden and so fulfill the law of Christ—that law is to love, preferring each other.