I have found a mentor. Not a cheerleader, not a consultant, not a coach: a mentor. Someone whose presence, though infrequent in conversation, remains constant in thought. Someone whose words weigh heavily and linger until I am compelled to live up to them.
I call him Sensei. It feels fitting. Not because I study under him formally, but because I am learning and sometimes unlearning lessons that reach far beyond business. At my stage in life, I find that just as important as entrepreneurial success are activities like spending time with my young daughters, grounding myself, balancing family life between continents, and the effort to grow roots as deeply as I pursue growth.
These days, fulfilment isn’t measured solely in financial milestones but also in presence, in being there for moments that don’t make the news but matter to the people. There’s also the weight of social impact and community engagement, mentoring others, supporting institutions that build capacity, and serving as part of something larger than myself. The seasons of ambition evolve, and what was once all about expansion now feels more about balance, a balance between building and belonging, between the noise of achievement and the silence of gratitude.
I thought about all this before making my move.
Finding the Mentor You Don’t Have to Chase
Mentorship, at least the way it’s glamorised today, is often about chasing opportunities. People spend years trying to “get in the room” or “build proximity” to someone successful. But in reality, mentorship starts with resonance, not access. You know you’ve found the right person when their perspective disrupts your thinking, long before they ever call you by name.
For me, that person came in the form of a conversation that didn’t flatter my ambition but tested it. A long but not too long time ago, I presented my plan, my meticulously prepared, beautifully bound, over one hundred pages of blofo and projections and strategy and plenty things to this man who’s leading one of Ghana’s most prominent institutions. To me, it made sense, and he reaffirmed the logic within my presentation, so I was high on “this is going great!”.
Instead, he said at the end, very calmly and with a smile, “This is good, but it’s not going to work.”
OUCHHHH!!! Where did that come from? That sentence stayed with me. He agreed my submission made sense, so why? Well, I realised later, and in the months that followed, that he had nothing to gain from saying that. He had no stake in the outcome. No reason to spare my feelings. And yet, he offered his time when I asked, an hour on a busy weekday on Zoom, to help me see what I was missing together with Western partners. I walked away thinking: this is someone who tells the truth, because he did not need to do this call the way he did.
In Sensei, I have a young, brilliant man in a powerful position (him) who chose to be kind to a stranger (me). He is the mentor who just fits for me. Another might for you. But my Sensei fits me. I had to have that conversation with him.
Sensei’s Traits I Considered
Let me generalise it so you can relate.
Find someone who has built what you want. If they haven’t done it, they can’t teach it. Don’t ask the unfree how to be free. Don’t ask someone who doesn’t value time with his kids how to spend valuable time with your little kids.
My mentor has walked the path from the world to Ghana and back. His current disposition positions him to understand what it means to build a business, to operate at the highest levels, to fail publicly, and to rise privately. He knows what it means to be a son of the land, to thrive abroad, and to return home to find yourself both too young and too old in your own country. He understands that in business, the only universal language is results.
His first lesson to me was blunt honesty: “This won’t work.” He didn’t overstate it with flattery. He wasn’t vague. Yet, he stayed long enough to show me why. That’s rare. Many will critique you and leave. Few will challenge you and remain in the room. Sensei had no equity in my venture, no personal interest in the outcome. That’s what made his advice precious. He could point out my blind spots because he wasn’t blinded by my story.
What Makes a Mentor Worth Listening To
A mentor is not the loudest voice in the room but the most grounded one. They don’t demand your loyalty; they earn your attention. They don’t create dependence; they build discernment.
I’ve noticed that the people most obsessed with appearing “mentored” often end up echoing someone else’s script. But that’s imitation, not growth. A true mentor doesn’t clone you; they calibrate you.
Sensei’s mentorship isn’t prescriptive. He doesn’t tell me what to do. Instead, he helps me test what I already think I know, and oh, I throw ideas at him. A LOT. I just keep typing. And if he’s to poke a hole in just one of them, I’ll re-evaluate the whole thing. Guys like me need that; we need a calibrator.
Generational Balance: Why It Matters
My mentor is young-ish, young enough to understand artificial intelligence, automation, digitalisation and Industry 5.0, yet old enough to remember Ghana’s great hunger of 1983 (I laughed typing this). That balance matters. He bridges eras, analogue discipline with digital agility. I really have thought this through.
That combination gives his perspective texture. He can talk venture strategy in the same breath as subsistence agriculture. He knows that true progress is not about replacing the old, but about integrating it with the new. I know because he did say that “this won’t work,” but he also later added, “…at least not now.” He is right.
I value his mind, for it is one that recognises that innovation without history is directionless, and history without innovation is dead weight.
What Mentorship Really Teaches You
In truth, mentorship is far more than learning what to do next. It’s about learning how to think long-term. The right mentor changes your time horizon. They help you stop asking, “How do I win today?” and start asking, “How do I keep winning tomorrow?”
My Sensei taught me that power without patience collapses, and influence without integrity corrodes. He says little, but everything he says holds. Another factor I considered is that he is a good human being. His colleagues talk fondly of him. He shares my view that you don’t need to be metaphorically cutting throats to be cutthroat. He was kind to a stranger with just one hour of his undivided attention and expert input, and that move has impacted the lives of me, my team and the MIG Ecosystem. A bad deal with a good person can work, but a good deal with a bad person will never work. I am endeavouring to surround myself with good people, and Sensei is good people.
A Quiet Word to Young Entrepreneurs
If you’re looking for a mentor, don’t chase celebrity. Look for someone whose scars match your dreams. Someone who has already paid the tuition for the lessons you’re about to learn. Someone who has receipts, not opinions on a life he has not lived. Your life is yours and yours alone.
You’ll know you’ve found the right one when they don’t flatter your ambition but fortify your vision. When they can say no and you still respect them. When they’re willing to invest truth where others invest cruelty.
And if you’re lucky enough to find a Sensei, protect that relationship with humility. Don’t demand their time; earn it by honouring their wisdom.
The Gift of Being Taught
In every field, from business to leadership and art, there comes a moment when talent must yield to guidance and ambition must be refined by experience. I’ve reached that point, and I’m grateful for it. Warts and all, I have come this far, with still further to go.
My mentor might never read this, or perhaps he will and simply smile. More likely, he’ll read this, smile and think I’m exaggerating as he murmurs “Maaaax Max!”. Oh but I am not exaggerating. Because through his actions and inactions, what he’s taught me about patience, proportion, and power has quietly shaped the architecture of the rest of my life and work.
Think about it: I shelved my “great” idea, returned to the drawing board, and relaunched MIG’s 5-year strategic plan in a way that works, incorporating all that he discussed with those Western partners during that one-hour phone call about MIG. And guess what: he missed the follow-up meeting with the partners, so it’s not like he was just giving giving giving. He was simply being kind to a young stranger when he could; that’s a good man. Ego could have made me more stubbornly double down on my ideas. But once I realised he was onto something, I looked elsewhere for a feasible plan, and guess what… I found it. We’ve had a fantastic Sheanut season thanks to this recalibration, and even though I am extremely stressed, I smile! All because, once again, someone chose to be kind to a stranger.
Thank you, Sensei!
I hope you found this article both insightful and enjoyable. Your feedback is greatly valued and appreciated. I welcome any suggestions for topics you would like me to cover or provide insights on. You can schedule a meeting with me through my Calendly at www.calendly.com/maxwellampong. Alternatively, connect with me through various channels on my Linktree page at www.linktr.ee/themax. Subscribe to the ‘Entrepreneur In You’ newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/d-hgCVPy.
I wish you a highly productive and successful week ahead!
♕ —- ♕ —- ♕ —- ♕ —- ♕
The author, Dr. Maxwell Ampong, serves as the CEO of Maxwell Investments Group. He is also an Honorary Curator at the Ghana National Museum and the Official Business Advisor with Ghana’s largest agricultural trade union under Ghana’s Trade Union Congress (TUC). Founder of WellMax Inclusive Insurance and WellMax Micro-Credit, Dr. Ampong writes on relevant economic topics and provides general perspective pieces. ‘Entrepreneur In You’ operates under the auspices of the Africa School of Entrepreneurship, an initiative of Maxwell Investments Group.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author, Dr. Maxwell Ampong, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or beliefs of Maxwell Investments Group or any of its affiliates. Any references to policy or regulation reflect the author’s interpretation and are not intended to represent the formal stance of Maxwell Investments Group. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Readers should seek independent advice before making any decisions based on this material. Maxwell Investments Group assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content or for any actions taken based on the information provided.
