Remember, the “Where’s the beef?” commercials Wendy’s restaurants began running in 1984? The advertising slogan soon became a catch phrase anytime someone wanted to question the substance of an idea or product.

It seems to me, with apologies to my middle school English teacher, “Where’s the jobs?” is an appropriate slogan for the current, so-called economic recovery. Economists have been telling us for months that the economy is growing again, albeit at a relatively slow pace. We’ve seen some modest improvements in the number of new jobless claims — that is, until recent weeks. It seems that the new jobless claims rose to 496,000 last week and that the unemployment rate is once again creeping into double-digit territory.

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When I heard that Tiger Woods was holding a press conference to apologize for his infidelity, I couldn’t imagine what he’d have to say to me. Let’s face it, Tiger never made any promises to me about how he would conduct himself either personally or professionally.

So I was curious as to what he might say and decided to watch a video of the press conference. I must admit that I was relieved to find that Mr. Woods didn’t apologize to me for his infidelities. In fact, he addressed his initial words of apology to those in the room with him. Most in attendance were friends, family, and people who had worked with Tiger. His wife was noticeably absent.

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The Office of the President of the United States of America is the most visible leadership position in the world. Period. So whether he likes it or not, President Obama receives more than his fair share of unsolicited advice on leadership.

Of course, all of this advice for the President is free, and much of it is worth exactly what he pays for it.

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“A trusted counselor or guide.”  That’s Webster’s definition of a mentor.

Who do you have in your professional life that you can trust for sound counsel and guidance?

It’s critical to your success and, likely, your emotional well-being to have people to whom you can turn when you’re struggling, need advice, or just want some validation of what you’re doing. Often it’s hard to turn to your boss and show your vulnerability. You want her to view you as being confident, self-assured, and having everything under control. You don’t want to show any sign of weakness, it might get in the way of the next big assignment or, worse yet, a raise or promotion. You can’t really turn to those who report to you because they look to you for leadership and guidance. So who is it that you can turn to when you need a fresh set of eyes on a problem?

Who is your mentor?

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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by those you did.” Mark Twain

Ever find yourself at work wondering whether or not to speak up in a meeting? You have an idea that you think might really make a difference, but you’re unsure how it might be received by your colleagues or, more important, your boss. As the seconds tick away, you debate with yourself whether your idea has enough merit to share it with the group.

Courage seems like a strange word to associate with the average employee. Policemen and soldiers need to be courageous. But does the average employee holding down an office job need courage?

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