Mentoring is different from other professional relationships. Jenni Luke wrote this article for the ‘Fortune’ website, and I think it has some interesting ideas.
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A successful mentorship requires both parties to be vulnerable.
MPW Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: Why is it important to have a mentor? is written by Jenni Luke, CEO of Step Up.
Mentorship is powerful and incredibly useful in anyone’s career. This kind of constructive guidance is unlike any other professional relationship. But a successful mentorship requires both parties to be vulnerable. We will all experience highs and lows during the course of our career. And moving past what we previously believed to be our limits can feel uncomfortable. Yet it really is a moment to be celebrated because it marks a new stage of growth. As mentors, we need to explain that success is not a linear path—and that’s okay. As mentees we need to be willing to share the experiences we’d rather keep to ourselves.
Leadership is mentorship in action. Before I became a CEO, my definition of leadership was ‘I’m the CEO, therefore I have to know everything.’ I now view leadership as having a vision, sharing it with others, acknowledging the opportunities and challenges, and engaging others to make the vision a reality. This is when vulnerability is necessary. Sharing a vision for something and asking others to follow you is an inherently risky move. Admitting what you don’t know and asking for help is risky, too.
Leaders who lead from this perspective are those I’m most interested in learning from; the mentor I seek and hope to be. I’m committed to going beyond my limits not only because my limits become my organization’s limits, but because others see it. And whether I succeed or fail, there is a lesson to be learned along the way.