Action 6: Mentorship

The sixth action that challenges Business Leaders is Mentorship.

Why engage in mentorship?

I recall when I was a young(er) professional, preparing to enter the workforce. I was sitting in a prep meeting with 100+ other colleagues waiting to be assigned a mentor. We were listening to a panel of experienced mentors answer questions about the role we'd be fulfilling, the mentorship experience, and the expectations.

I remember one question in particular that has stayed with me for more than 20 years. "As a mentor, what do you get from the mentorship relationship?"

Three of the four members on the panel each addressed the question with answers I cannot recall. It was the fourth panel member that I will never forget.

"What do I get from the mentorship experience?", he repeated the question. "Nothing. I get nothing. I am the mentor, you are the mentee. I can't learn anything from you. I am here to tell you how this business works. That's what a mentor does."

He was - mind-blowingly - that matter-of-fact. Mr. I Get Nothing.

Don't be Mr. I Get Nothing.

To this day, that stands as one of the most arrogant (and stupid) statements I have ever heard in person. Mr. I Get Nothing clearly had no idea what a true mentor was. I immediately felt bad for whoever got paired with him, and I prayed it wasn't going to be me. (It wasn't.)

Why engage in mentorship? Well, if you are Mr. I Get Nothing, you engage because you clearly have all the answers and a burning desire to get them out into the world. You want to make sure that others do things your way, and that your legacy becomes an icon for all to see.

But, let's be real. That's not the point of mentorship.

I talk to a lot of mentors who are actively engaged in formal and informal mentorship processes. When I ask them why they do it, invariably their response begins with a humble accounting of feeling unworthy of the task. And it ends with something like this: "To be honest, I get more out of being a mentor, than what I feel I give to my mentee."

The benefits of mentorship in an organization are huge. Confidence growth, leadership development, greater job satisfaction, increased employee engagement and retention, and creating a culture of learning and growth. The list can go on. But perhaps the greatest opportunity for you lies in the mentor relationship.

When you mentor others, it will give you a new perspective of your organization. Mentee's will help you see through their eyes. While you are having a direct impact on a less experienced person, you will also be able to leverage a viewpoint that you can't possibly gain any other way.

Lastly, mentoring others will help keep you in a growth mindset. As a leader, it becomes increasingly challenging to stay sharp. We can fall into patterns and routines that don't challenge us.

Mentoring another person will force you to ask the question,"What can I learn form this?"

Or risk becoming Mr. I Get Nothing.

Go. Be. Profound.

G