COACH or MENTOR
For a moment, let's take a trip back to high school where I believe we will gain greater clarity on the subject:
Where do you find a coach? The unanimous answer is organized sports. Looking deeper, who has a coach? Women and men who have decided to compete at the sport of their choice. Why do they need a coach? According to Webster's, a coach is "one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy."Where do you find a mentor? 
The unanimous answer is study hall/ the library. Who has a mentor? Women and men who require additional guidance in order to gain a firm grasp of the material being taught in class in order to earn a passing grade. What's the mentor's role? Turning again to Webster's, a mentor is defined as "a trusted counselor or guide."
The unanimous answer is study hall/ the library. Who has a mentor? Women and men who require additional guidance in order to gain a firm grasp of the material being taught in class in order to earn a passing grade. What's the mentor's role? Turning again to Webster's, a mentor is defined as "a trusted counselor or guide."Realizing that the majority of you reading this have graduated college, I'll do you the courtesy of departing from the high school scenario. So, let's apply this to the real world of business & politics. Which do you require to achieve those dreams bouncing between your synapses? Before you answer, reference the denotations of each. Well, what did you come up with?
While we're waiting for you to develop your answer, here's mine: both. A coach (of which I have two) is an individual who provides objectivity to the development of my personal and corporate success strategies. One is a senior executive who has direct access to, let's just say Washington; and my peer coach is the only woman I know who rivals me in tenacity & creativity. A mentor (of which I have nearly a dozen) is an individual who has a wealth of both knowledge and experience in a specific area which is either the environment in which a tactic for my greater success must take place, is the pathway to that environment, or is the 'gunpowder' which I require to successfully explode said tactic effectively.
I hope that this helps you not only find your path to what you define as SUCCESS, but to properly identify the key elements you require to achieve it.
[This post is dedicated to Anubha, Mark, Kimberly, Joseph, Raechelle, Rhasaan, Mason, and the 2010 PA New Leaders Fellows.]
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