Why Positive Leadership Thrives on Mentorship

Welcome to the Positive Leadership & You newsletter. This month, we consider the power of mentorship.

Me: Focusing on our personal growth, wellbeing and being positive

A mentor is not a coach. Coaching is about bringing out the best of people and focusing on the work that matters most. Anyone can develop a coaching habit, and coach-like curiosity is a skill that improves individuals in a way that can strengthen any organization. In his bestselling book, The Coaching Habit,  📚Michael Bungay Stanier , who has coached me, explains the practical steps we can all take. You can discover his key lessons in my podcast conversation with him here:

Mentorship is different, but in your career or life journey, is complementary. A mentor is someone who helps an individual to grow and flourish by sharing their perspective and advice. Although it isn’t about having all the answers! Being a mentor is also a great way to give back and it helps you to continue to learn and evolve. 

Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka , the former UN Under-Secretary-General who served as the Executive Director of UN Women, and Deputy President of South Africa, counted Nelson Mandela as one of her mentors. She shared this with me on a recent podcast: 

Wherever you climb, make sure you’re not climbing alone. Always lift as you climb. Because it's very lonely at the top. Always make sure that you never put yourself in the situation of being the only one. 

Whatever stage you are at in your career, having a good support team is critical. Finding the right mentor or mentors can really help you to navigate work. And sometimes even life outside of work. If you don’t have one, start thinking about who you could approach. Don’t be nervous. Most people are happy to be asked and if they think they can help, they will.

Me & Others: Connecting with and empowering others to achieve more. 

Sometimes mentoring can be as simple as someone saying, "I've got your back," or "You can do it.” That can make all the difference in helping someone feel confident and giving them the boost they need to achieve a goal.

Angeline Murimirwa 's experience of having strong mentors while growing up in poverty has shaped how she leads CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education , a pan-African movement with a mission to eradicate poverty by educating girls and empowering young women. 

At the heart of Angeline's philosophy at CAMFED is the idea of sisterhood, a network of people who know they can lean on each other for support and honest advice. 

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When I spoke to her recently, I asked her what advice she had for people who want to become better mentors. She told me:

One of the things that I have learned in effective mentoring is make them understand that you are human. You are not a god, you know? Be transparent about your lessons, your errors, your mistakes, [and] what you have learned. Just telling where you were confused, your anxieties, what you didn’t know. Because unless we make it real, there is almost a sense of an unattainable capacity to lead or to transform.

Humility and mentorship go together. Showing your own vulnerability and the fact that you've made mistakes can have a powerful impact. It’s the growth-mindset in action. We can all learn from our mistakes and from the ones others have made.

Me & the World: Having a positive impact on the world. 

In December, it was my pleasure to speak with Élisabeth Moreno , President of Leaders Engagés , Femmes@Numérique and former French Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities. Like Angeline, Élisabeth is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and social justice. And like Angeline, she knows that effective mentorship can bring about positive change.

Focused on equity and opportunity in schools and businesses, she believes that too many people are held back by people who tell them they can't do something. To unlock potential for more people, we need to break down the barriers, and mentorship is one of three essential tools for doing so:

We all have something to give to someone, we all have something to teach someone. And participating in a country’s development means sharing with those who have less, and enabling them to rise. Because a developed country is one that develops with its entire population.

I love this idea. Mentorship is not an act of charity, it's a tool to make the world a more just and equal place, where people feel empowered to achieve more. Leaders like Élisabeth and Angeline fill me with optimism that this place is not too far away. What can you do to be part of this positive change?

On which note, I wish you a happy end-of-year! If you are celebrating, I hope you are able to spend time with the people you love, doing the things you love. I look forward to continuing these reflections in January. 

All the best,

jp