This blog was inspired by a recent conversation with my friend and colleague Geeta Jain of MentorW, as a part of MentorW’s Journey UPHill: Looking Back & Beyond conversation series with women leaders from around the world.
Mentors have played a vital role in my career development. I was fortunate to have hugely influential mentors throughout my career; each with different mentoring styles, but perfect for the time and place I was in. In my current chapter of my career as an advisor and non-executive director, I am committed to paying it forward for the leaders of tomorrow. Reflecting on my impactful mentors makes me a better mentor for others.
In my experience, an effective mentor does these things:
Acts as a confidant.
It is crucial that your mentor is someone you trust. You need to feel safe and comfortable to talk about any challenge, issue, or development with them at any time. Trust that they have your back, especially when things feel uncertain.
Asks the right questions.
A mentor should not tell you what to do. Instead, they should be skilled at asking questions that lead you to making the best decision for yourself. A past mentor of mine, the late Bob Griffith, approached our relationship in a way that inspired me to be open-minded by asking thoughtful questions, and it was truly impactful as I navigated a new career path.
Realizes your potential.
One of my favorite mentoring stories is when a former CEO, respected author, and critical mentor of mine, Hubert Joly, told an audience of five hundred people that I was like a turtle. Hubert explained that a turtle only makes progress by sticking its neck out and that I, too, stuck my neck out and took risks to move things forward. He helped me realize that my risk taking, curiosity, and comfort in difficult and uncomfortable situations was my superpower.
Mentors often see things in you that you simply cannot see in yourself. There were several times in my career where my mentor’s confidence in me gave me confidence in myself to take the promotion or make the next career move.
Listens attentively.
The most influential mentors should make you feel like you are the most important person in the room. Throughout my career, I’ve learned the importance of attentive listening in all aspects of leadership, but especially in mentor relationships. True listening makes people feel understood, seen, and validated.
Provides a different perspective.
Your mentor should not be exactly like you. My first mentor was the Vice President for Development at Northwestern University, the late Allin Proudfoot. He had a profound impact on my love of the art of fundraising and the gift of building personal relationships and trust. He mentored me by experience and brought me into meetings, experiences, and presentations that I otherwise would not have been a part of. He pushed me out of my comfort zone to grow and seek out new and different opportunities.
I recently discovered this graphic by Addy Osmani about mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship that I find very insightful. I strongly believe it is the responsibility of successful leaders to provide these services for others. My friend Ace Callwood made a crucial point about scalability, “While I may only be able to coach or mentor a handful of people at any given time, I can keep a growing list of sponsors whose names I can put forward for consideration for various roles or opportunities. Especially when I'm at the table and they may not be.”
I have been so fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my career and am honored to support the next generation of leaders.
Share your stories of coaching, mentorship, or sponsorship in the comments! How do you plan to pay it forward in your career and make an impact?
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