The Studio Source.com

In response to my post about the hazards of business gurus, Linda posted a comment asking how you know who to trust among the crowd of self-proclaimed experts.

Show of hands—who saw the original Star Wars movie? Technically it was Episode 4, but the first one to hit the big screen. Remember the scene where Ben rescues an unconscious Luke Skywalker and then reveals he’s really Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi? Remember how he put Luke through his wanna-be Jedi Knight paces?

That’s who you trust.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is an old-school guru. A teacher. A mentor. That’s who you want in your corner.

Obi-Wan tells you the truth, even if you don’t want to hear it. She won’t pretend your idea is good just to avoid her own discomfort (or yours).

Obi-Wan doesn’t believe in spoon-feeding. She challenges you to do the work, because you won’t learn anything if someone else does it for you.

Obi-Wan warns you when you’re behaving like an arrogant ass, and lets you fail when you ignore his advice. Then, instead of saying, “I told you so,” he sits quietly while you lick your wounds and think about what you’ve done.

Obi-Wan shares the best of her experience. She helps you suss out the pros and cons and knows when to shut up and let you do your thinking. She teaches you to trust your instincts. She helps you learn how to learn.

Can you find all those things in one person? Don’t sweat it—you don’t have to. The great thing about the Internet is the incredible amount of information available. When you find a good mentor, you can connect with their network. You can ask for help. You can comparison shop until your eyes go square.

Reject the pseudo gurus and find your own Obi-Wan.