What are some alternative ways to find a mentor for your leadership journey?

In navigating my leadership journey, I've found value in teaming up with a peer mentor. Partnering with someone on a parallel career trajectory but with distinct skills and viewpoints fosters a dynamic exchange of insights. Be it a colleague, friend, or a professional network member, discovering a peer mentor encourages mutual growth through shared challenges and support. The crucial element is identifying individuals with a compatible personality, mutual respect, and a willingness to swap feedback and advice.

Peer mentorship starts with the humility to admit that you have a lot to learn from your peers, many of whom could be competitors. You must break down the barriers of competition, and focus on the synergistic impact of learning from your peers and competitors.

Peer mentorship is very important, especially in a startup context. Historical evidence from giants like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Alibaba, Facebook, Airbnb, and Uber, all co-founded under this model, highlights its value. Peer mentorship thrives on shared interests, friendships, and relatable struggles, fostering resource sharing and mutual motivation. For entrepreneurs seeking a compatible peer mentor, consistently sharing your interests and goals, both online and offline, is key to discovering the right match

In my experience there is a requirement to have a formal arrangement for this process, whether it is a peer mentor or even from outside the industry. The easiest path is usually from within a similar industry as they may share common ground and have immediate access to the flows and ebbs of workplace situations faced. However mentors from diverse fields give you insights and an outlook which is different. This definitely helps in the learning and growth process as out of the box thinking and variability in ideas comes to fore. Most importantly, chose someone who has genuine empathy and embraces the Mentor role with a focus on development and improvement.

Being a procurement guy, I deal with a lot of sales people. While it might feel more natural to look at someone in your field, I've found it helpful to seek a mentor from someone on the other side of the table. In this case, a sales person. Their vantage point is extremely helpful... and possibly more helpful than someone who is in a similar role as you and has a similar perspective.

One of our most respected senior execs recently said that his leadership style is an amalgamation of "good little bits of DNA" and wisdom from leader role models and people he admires. I couldn't agree more. My own journey is the same and I'm blessed to have encountered, worked with, eventually became friends with some of the best and inspiring leaders in the industry who became my role models. I also didnt have to look that far, my parents were my first role models who influenced my work ethic and ability to work w different types of people. So yes to role models combined with your own unique flair that makes you, you.

I believe everyone should follow one role model from his life and should make a do’s and don’s list from that role model. Following those list will help you become good leader!

In every company I’ve quickly identified a role model - someone who has accomplished what I want to accomplish, someone who moves the way I move or want to move, someone that I admire and that others admire or respect - and I develop an authentic relationship with that person. Not so that I can become that person. But so that I can learn from them. So that we can learn from each other. And become better through our relationship.

The only constant in this world is "Change ".. However in this dynamic environment, when one needs to choose a role model in a workplace , please ensure the role model to have the basic qualities on honesty, humility, derives his/her happiness by making/seeing others happy , help people to learn & grow ... rest all, AI can be the role model 😜

I have been privileged to enjoy the mentorship of someone like @Dr Sam Adeyemi. It all started from me listening to his program on radio while I was much younger, then I had later had access to buying and reading most of his books. As technology advanced, I have been able to follow him on social media platforms, attended his webinars and eventually subscribed to his structured mentorship programs. I consider him as one of my greatest influence in life even though we have had little to no formal physical interactions.

It's lonely at the top! C-suite and senior leaders don't always have someone providing feedback and holding the mirror up in front of them. A coach holds the coachee capable knowing that transformation occurs when the coachee recognizes areas of change, awareness or enlightenment within themselves.

Hiring or seeking support of a coach is a great way to progress in one's growth journey. Coach can help us explore our hidden side by asking probing questions as the answers to those questions lies within us only. They help us in reflecting ourselves in a safe environment by acting as a sounding board. Sometimes as professionals we get fixated on our side of the coin. A coache can help us see the other side of the coin, thus, the larger picture and transforming our vision. Hence, seeking a coache's support is a great way to keep ourselves aligned on the growth paths.

It is challenging to look at yourself with an objective eye. The significant contribution of a coach is to help you find your potential thoughts by asking you a series of great questions. As a professional coach, I learned so much from the process of being a coach itself. If you become aware of each role of coach, peer mentor, and role model, you will effectively communicate with each and get more of what you want.

Coaches come in various shapes or forms. From personal coaches, to organizational development consultants. The best ones are the ones that work for your specific problem. Sometimes it can help to ask friends, colleagues, peers in similar situations if they can recommend someone. And if they can't, maybe they can share their learnings from their own coaches/consultants. There are usually advantages and disadvantages and they can advise you what to look out for.

Definitely something to consider if you have the budget and are open to following instructions. A coach can see things you cannot and gives you fresh perspectives. But it is no good to hire one and NOT listen to their advice.

Reverse mentorship is an effective way of sharing experiences across generations and has given me plenty of insights as to differences in thinking, motivation, and what is perceived as individual development. It is easy to get stuck in one’s own perception and I find it useful for both sides to broaden the perspective.

I love this concept as the moment you stop learning or you think you know it all you are done. We learn from everyone around us … sometimes we even have answers for problems that we deal within our organisation by asking the right questions to our team. Reverse mentoring is also fundamental for our people pipeline development; we will find the new leaders of our business the more we work with our team and understand the way they see our business, the skills they have and how we can help developing them so they are ready for their next step.

I've been learning a lot from reverse mentors lately. Someone who might be younger or not as experienced, but they're full of new ideas and skills. My approach is pretty simple: I ask them to teach me something, share their thoughts on my projects, or even collaborate with me. It's been eye-opening. You see, mentorship doesn't always have to come from someone more senior. Often, fresh insights are hiding with those just starting out or from different backgrounds. I stay open to these opportunities, actively seeking them out. This way, I'm continuously learning and keeping up with new trends and perspectives. It's a refreshing twist to traditional mentoring and has really helped me grow.

Highly successful soccer coaches like Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane show the power of reverse mentorship. Before leading renowned teams like Barcelona & Real Madrid, they honed their skills with Barcelona & Real Madrid B teams. This phase was crucial for learning to manage players in low-pressure settings, a foundation that later helped them excel under high pressure with top-tier players. Similarly, in the corporate world, mentoring interns or less experienced colleagues can provide vital insights. It's an effective strategy for gaining unique perspectives and overcoming the challenges of managing people in the future. Learning from those at different career stages can be invaluable for leadership development.

I feel this is the most effective sort of mentor. As you grow in your career you tend to be more rigid in your views. A reverse mentor is most likely to shake you out of your pre-conceived notions. Be open-minded and think out of the box when looking for a mentor.