In construction, we spend a lot of time talking about production, margins, schedules, and execution. One of the most overlooked drivers of long-term success is not a system or a product. It is mentorship.

Mentors are extremely important, and not just one.

If you are serious about growing, you should have multiple mentors, each serving a different area of your life. You need someone for business, someone for finances, someone for your spiritual walk, and possibly others for leadership or health. No single person can sharpen every edge you have. Trying to rely on one mentor for everything will limit your growth.

The right mentors bring perspective you do not have. They have already walked roads you are just stepping onto. They help you avoid mistakes, think more clearly, and move forward with confidence.

This is where most people get it wrong. Mentorship is not passive.

You should be talking with your mentors regularly, ideally once a week if you are serious about growth. Consistency matters. Growth does not come from one good conversation. It comes from steady accountability and honest dialogue over time.

It is just as important to be a strong mentee.

A good mentee shows up prepared, asks real questions, listens closely, and most importantly takes action. There is no faster way to lose a great mentor than to keep asking for advice and never applying it.

Being a mentor is just as valuable.

When you mentor someone else, it forces you to sharpen your own thinking. It stretches your leadership and reminds you where you came from. In this business, we do not just build projects. We build people. The strongest teams are built by leaders who invest in others.

If you look across the construction industry, the ones who rise and stay there are not doing it alone. They are coached, challenged, and supported by others who have been there before.

If you want to separate yourself, do not just work harder.

Will Lane
PCS Tennessee Market President
Rush Building Products / Division of PCS