- by Sophie Pinkoski

One of the biggest secrets to successful leadership is that a great leader never stops learning and growing as their role evolves. As a leader, you will constantly encounter new responsibilities, challenges, and decisions to be made. This will involve being as informed as possible to do what’s best for your organization. Sometimes, that means asking for help when you need it. It’s common for CEOs to feel they must project strength and confidence to hide their limitations, but you can’t expect to be an expert in everything. Even leaders have weaknesses and blind spots. This is where mentorship can be a benefit. 

Mentors aren’t just for emerging professionals.

In fact, even as far back as 2016, Harvard Business Review found that 70% of CEOs said working with a mentor improved their organization’s performance overall.

Many factors contribute to the difficulty CEOs have in committing to mentorship that will further their leadership development. Formal mentorship programs are often unrealistic for CEOs, as they can’t take time away to participate, despite their interest and their organization’s willingness to invest in growth opportunities. Even finding time within their busy schedule to dedicate to mentor meetings can be daunting in general. On top of this, many potential conflicts can arise from leaning on someone within your own network. Many leaders don’t want to risk their reputation as a strong leader if their network hears they’re struggling in certain aspects of their role. The complexity of the CEO role means there are very few people within your network who understand what you’re going through as a leader. This is why it’s often ideal to seek out a mentor outside your existing circle. An impartial figure whose experience is equal to or greater than your own can give you the sounding board you need. Having a mentor like this offers a perspective outside your own, who can identify your biases and blind spots without judgement. The mentorship relationship should give you the psychological safety to share your biggest concerns without worrying your team.

Having a mentor on your side can help you set aside your doubts and build up your confidence so you can go forward and do your job without second guessing yourself.

In this way, a mentor is far from a crutch, but a catalyst for growth.

Here are ways you can leverage mentorship to level up as a leader:

Build an intentional mentorship relationship that suits your needs–– Finding the right mentor as a leader is an intentional process. You’re looking for someone whose skills, experiences, and perspectives are compatible with the priorities you want to improve. This can require self-reflection on what you and your organization need most from this relationship. Acknowledge your existing limitations holding you back as well as the strengths you wish to take to the next level. What new skills and knowledge could benefit you most?

Consider what common leadership skills within your arsenal need the most work.

These might be areas such as strategy, communication, emotional intelligence, stakeholder engagement, or motivating your team. A good place to start is to ask your peers, board members, or even external consultants for recommendations to point you in the direction of a mentor who can fulfill your specific needs. If you have multiple areas in need of improvement, you may want to put together a network of mentors you can lean on to cover each area of expertise.

Maintain a strong, dependable mentor relationship–– A truly meaningful mentorship relationship that stands the test of time is built on vulnerability and trust. Often professional relationships can fizzle out if both parties don’t commit to regular meetings to set up a routine. Treat your mentorship one-on-ones as you would board meetings. Prioritize these meetings in your schedule and come prepare with an agenda in mind. Be open about your struggles. The most high-value mentor relationships come from authentic conversations.

When you’re transparent about what bothers you most, that’s when you’re going to get the most out of your mentor dynamic.

Come to meetings with your latest issues in mind. By having a reliable sounding board, you can air your concerns and frustrations to give you peace of mind when stressful situations arise. You can come into your meetings fortified by the knowledge that your mentor will give you perspectives you enable you to make the right decisions. A strong mentorship dynamic should create a safe environment where you feel comfortable sharing what bothers you most. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of thoughtful questions about times when your mentor has gone through similar ordeals and how they managed it themselves to inform what you do next.

Apply what you’ve learned–– Mentorship is only as powerful as what you do with it. Your organization benefits when you translate all that advice, reflection, and fresh perspective into action. Take the time after each mentorship meeting to deliberately reflect on how you can apply what you’ve learned from your mentor’s latest insights. How do they relate to your current challenges? The wisdom your mentor imparts might give you a new approach to things like conflict resolution, communication, or decision-making frameworks. Consider what’s working and apply what you've learned to improve what isn’t. This can also be a time of experimentation, where you solicit feedback from your board and team to get a sense of what new approach is most effective.  Remember that every setback is a new opportunity, not a failure.

Cultivate a culture of mentorship in your organization–– Prioritizing your leadership development through mentorship sets the tone for the rest of your organization. When your team sees you embracing mentorship for your own professional development, it empowers them to do the same. After all, you’re not just seeking mentorship, you’re modelling it. Demonstrate the importance of continuous learning by being transparent about your mentorship journey. This showcases the potential for what your team can also achieve. Alongside the noted increase in engagement, talent retention, and performance that mentorship brings, Deloitte found that 81% of millennials will stay in their organization for five or more years if they have a mentor to guide them.

Letting mentorship permeate your organization fosters a culture of trust, connection, engagement, and feedback where it’s not just you benefiting from mentor insights, but your organization as a whole.

Mentorship is an often underused, yet powerful resource within a CEO’s toolkit. It can transform your leadership trajectory, allowing you to constantly evolve to adapt to any eventuality within your tenure. After all, the best leaders don’t stand alone at the top; they stand on everything they've learned from those who helped them grow and continue to do so to this day.

Further Reading:

4 Ways CEOs Can Benefit from a Mentor, Medium

Why Mentorship Is Even More Important When You’re A Leader, Forbes

The Importance Of Finding A Mentor, Forbes

The Value for Every First-time CEO Of Having an Independent Coach and Mentor in Their Corner, AOEC

Mentorship and its Impact on Leadership Development, The Compliance Digest

Empowering Leaders: The Value of Executive Mentorship Programs, Boardsi

Unlock The Transformative Power Of Mentoring, Forbes

CEOs Need Mentors Too, Harvard Business Review

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