In my more than 40 years of professional experience, I’ve encountered several incredibly impactful mentors who have helped guide me personally and professionally by adopting a “mentorship mindset,” a way of thinking and approaching relationships that prioritizes growth, guidance and mutual respect. It is a commitment to helping others learn, developing their potential, and achieving their goals, while also being open to learning from the process yourself.
According to a survey by the American Society for Training and Development, 75 percent of executives reported that mentoring has played a crucial role in their career development. Some mentor relationships have formed organically over time for a season, and some have continued throughout my long career. Mentor relationships take many forms — situational, one-on-one, or even reverse mentoring from younger colleagues. Each has offered invaluable support. Here are the key lessons I’ve learned from these relationships that shaped my success.
Find mentors who can help guide your vision
For 15 years, I built a close, personal mentor relationship with Morton Mandel, former chairman and CEO of Premier Industrial Corporation and Parkwood, who passed away in 2019. Through my mentorship with Mort, I learned invaluable lessons from his vision of philanthropy and approach to work-life balance. Watching Mort work in his 90s with remarkable focus and drive inspired me. From his bestselling book It’s All About Who You Hire, How They Lead…and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader, I embraced the value of “The Who” — building an A+ team, a principle that has profoundly shaped the philosophy at The NRP Group and one I have taken to heart in my nonprofit endeavors.
Find mentors who challenge and elevate your thinking
In NRP’s early years, I approached Albert Ratner, former CEO of Forest City Realty Trust, with what I thought was a solid growth plan for the organization. To my surprise, his reaction was far from encouraging. He highlighted blind spots and pushed me to focus on what our company could truly excel at, and use that approach to scale nationally. Without his candid feedback, I’m not sure NRP would still be here today. Albert also helped me find balance between my community involvement — both in the Jewish and business communities — and my board commitments.
Guide the leaders of tomorrow
Having benefited from incredible mentors throughout my career, I now mentor young developers and real estate entrepreneurs every week. At NRP, we’ve introduced virtual coffee chats where team members can sign-up monthly to ask me any question on their minds — whether it’s about our business pipeline, market insights, employee programs or even my reading list. These conversations leave me inspired by the A+ players I’m fortunate to work with every day.
Additionally, our Foundations of Leadership program offers an 18-month mentorship opportunity. The program develops emerging talent through leadership training aligned with core business competencies. Participants receive peer mentoring in group activities and one-on-one guidance from a senior leader they personally select — often their first formal mentoring experience.
Viewing every encounter through a mentorship lens has allowed me to approach relationships as a lifelong learner. Whether mentors are close friends or admired figures from afar, they are invaluable. I encourage a mix of both, as embracing mentorship can make an indelible impact on your career, and I’m proof.
J. David Heller is President, CEO and Co-founder of The NRP Group.
