Written by Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer
Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director.
Welcome back to my series “The ABCs of Effective Leadership”. In this post, we’ll explore the ways in which mentorship positively impacts relationships and productivity in the workplace. It can be tempting to focus on day-to-day tasks when small concerns seem large, but it is important to look beyond these brief moments into the future. True leadership involves investing in the people around you and preparing them for their own leadership journeys. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at mentorship in business!
What is mentorship in leadership?
When you think of the word “mentor”, you might envision a program like the Boys and Girls Club where teenagers and adults mentor children in high-risk situations to give them the best opportunity possible to succeed. Mentorship in business is similar. When you mentor someone less experienced than yourself, you offer suggestions while also supporting the fledgling leader’s decisions. It’s not about micromanaging employees or telling them what to do, in other words, but rather listening to tomorrow’s leaders, offering valuable perspectives formed by experience, and providing guidance when needed.
Mentorship is less structured than management. It can be personalized to address the mentee’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses in ways that management cannot. Mentorship takes place in a variety of ways, including regular in-person meetings, quick discussions over coffee or lunch, informal check-ins, and even video chat and in-office instant messenger.
The most important elements of mentorship in leadership are trust, mutual respect, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders.
Why mentorship matters
The best leaders have a wealth of experience behind them. They understand the different tools at their disposal and are not caught off-guard by unexpected situations. But how do we get these leadership characteristics in new leaders without the advantage of direct experience? Simple: mentorship.
Mentorships provide future leaders with knowledge earned the hard way. They don’t have to make the same mistakes we did in the past – instead, we can help guide new leaders through difficult circumstances so that they, and the people around them, find ideal solutions that foster growth and success.
In addition to shaping future leaders, mentorship also increases employee engagement. Workers who feel as though they have professional opportunities available to them are more loyal to their workplaces and more likely to stay in their positions long-term. Investing in employees, in other words, invests in the health of the organization as a whole.
The role of mentors in business
We’ve touched on this briefly above, but there are a few important roles mentors fill. These go beyond simply teaching specific skills or offering experienced career advice. They help foster an environment where mentees are free to ask questions, share their goals, and even discuss mistakes they’ve made in the past.
The key elements of mentorship include:
Guidance
Support
Challenge
Inspire
In summation, mentorship is crucial to shaping impactful and intentional future leaders. The best leaders lift those around them as they progress, share their experiences, and make the path for future leaders a bit easier.
Santarvis Brown, Leadership Engineer
Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. A noted speaker, researcher, and full professor, he has lent his speaking talent to many community and educational forums, serving as a keynote speaker. He has also penned several publications tackling issues in civic service, faith, leadership, and education.
