I have long believed in the importance and powerful impact of mentoring. Throughout my life and career mentoring has played an important role, and as I’ve interviewed other highly-successful leaders over the years, the topic of mentoring has come up many times.
Joel Allison, who recently retired as CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health, told me that he is a big believer in mentoring, noting, “I think that one of the best things a leader can do is choose good mentors.”
Bruce Brandes, founder and CEO of Lucro, echoed that sentiment, expressing thanks for the mentors in his life: “I have been very fortunate to work with people senior to me who were very kind to take me under their wing and give me insights that really have helped me in my career.”
Obviously mentorship is a great idea. But what are some specific benefits of mentoring? Here are 5 that come to mind!
A healthy mentoring relationship provides:
- An outside perspective and impartial advice
- Regular encouragement and support
- Honest and constructive criticism
- Wisdom gleaned from experience and expertise
- Help with professional development and career growth
I don’t know about you, but I have needed each of those things at every stage of my career—and even at this point in my life I still benefit from them! Mentoring is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to help yourself succeed.
How about you, have you benefited from mentoring? What other benefits would you add to this list?
