Graham Horton's Academic Mentoring and Advising Page

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL MENTORS, by Drew Appleby, quoted from here

Mature and Wise
Has attained a stage of advanced personal, social, and professional development.
Has a reputation for giving accurate and useful advice.
Qualified and Competent
Possesses the necessary experiences or credentials.
Performs her/his professional role in a capable and effective manner.
Empathic and Concerned
Displays compassionate and nonjudgmental understanding of proteges.
Helps proteges understand that they are valued.
Friendly and Optimistic
Appears to genuinely like her/his proteges and the process of mentoring them.
Maintains a positive outlook on life for her/himself and for her/his proteges.
Experienced and Seasoned
Has successfully traveled the path that her/his proteges are now traveling.
Willing to share personal/professional experiences and mistakes with proteges.
Promoting and Sponsoring
Communicates positive aspects of proteges to others.
Can "open doors" to career and graduate school opportunities for proteges.
Admired and Respected
Possesses characteristics that proteges aspire to attain.
Is held in high regard by her/his colleagues.
Knowledgeable and Informative
Possesses accurate and up-to-date information that can benefit proteges.
Is able and willing to communicate this information to proteges.
Supporting and Protecting
Serves as a source of emotional support for proteges during difficult times.
Is able and willing to defend proteges if the need arises.
Trustworthy and Dependable
Possesses ethical and moral integrity and expects the same of others.
Is willing to provide assistance to proteges even under difficult conditions.
Professionally Involved and Active
Is actively involved in her/his professional or academic organizations.
Continues to learn and develop within her/his profession.
Challenging and Demanding
Motivates proteges to attempt new tasks that stretch their current abilities.
Is unwilling to accept less-than-optimal performance from proteges.