Running an organization is hard and increasingly more complicated. When crises come knocking on your door uninvited, what do you do?

Finding the right coach is a big deal and probably the hardest thing to do when you are vulnerable and need help. It puts you in a position where you can grab the first person who is there and end up frustrated and even more volatile if it’s not a good match.  We know.  We’ve been there.

Over the years, we have all had to seek advice from professionals regarding unexpected risks that we had no idea how to manage.

As professionals in our industry, it’s even more difficult to find the right fit because of expectations from another professional. Also, finding someone who is more senior and wiser is essential. At least, that was how we felt. We wanted people who had walked through the same path and dealt with the critics. The fear and anguish are real and can be paralyzing. We didn’t want someone working from a workbook as an intellectual exercise rather than from the hard knocks of real life.

Finally, our world is becoming more complex and stressful. Being centered and happy requires more work, focus, time, and energy. With all of our exciting technology, we have pushed our expectations of ourselves and others to levels never previously expressed. This current evolutionary shift has resulted in unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. In order to keep our organizations flexible and agile and on a continual road of discovery, we need somewhere to vent our conflicts, frustrations, and feelings.

Where do you go for mentoring? Where do we find wisdom now—online, in blogs and forums? Do we have any face-to-face time with colleagues? These are just some of the issues in life that keep us open-minded and willing to change us to become a better human…even if it keeps us up at night.