Nowadays, we often hear of professionals who are ‘self-made’. More often than not, we hear about young people who, we are told, have succeeded in their work (and perhaps also in life), simply through their own efforts. This perhaps gives rise to a kind of common thinking that would lead one to believe that it is actually not so important to have guiding figures to achieve what we seek.

From art to entrepreneurship: why the role of leadership is always crucial

In reality, however, the past teaches us how the figure of the ‘Maestro’, that is, of a guide, both practical and in some respects spiritual, can be very important for the attainment of our goals. In this article, we have decided to mention a number of professional figures, or at any rate figures belonging to various spheres of work and otherwise, who can be best shaped by the presence of a mentor.

THE MASTER IN ARTISTIC CULTURE

When one thinks of Masters in reference to artistic culture in general, one’s mind cannot help but inevitably fall back to the Middle Ages. It was customary, in fact, for artists, in the broadest sense of the term, to rely on Masters in order to start learning as much as they wanted. Some valuable examples?
Among the most famous ‘pupil-masters’ are Cimabue and Giotto, Leonardo Da Vinci and Melzi, Ghirlandaio and Michelangelo. These are just some of the pairs that have become famous over the centuries. In those years, especially during the 15th and 16th centuries, it was common in Italy for young artists to rely on leading figures to learn how to paint or sculpt.

ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY: HERE ARE THE STARTUP MENTORS

The discourse can easily be transported to the present day and also to something different, namely entrepreneurship. Every day, new entrepreneurial activities are born, which have taken on the name of start-ups. What are we talking about in detail?
Nothing other than emerging enterprises, often temporary organisations, which can grow significantly and indefinitely. In the best of cases, start-ups start with initial capital from one or more investors, up to an eventual listing on financial markets. Among the greatest examples of recent years, we cannot but mention Mark Zuckerberg.

But these types of entrepreneurs, do they always do everything themselves? Of course not.
Generally speaking, each of them uses what has now become known as a startup mentor, nothing more than a mentor, an advisor, a sort of guide who provides support and allows a given project to be perfected with an external and authentic vision.

THE MENTAL COACH

Still in the wake of what has been said and focusing on a current perspective, it may also be useful to mention the figure of the Mental Coach. This is a ‘mental’ coach, who must in any case be experienced and qualified, who enables a professional to grow in all respects.
In particular, this figure generally makes use of experience in the field of neuro-linguistic programming: there are now many sportsmen and women who make use of a Mental Coach.