Mentors play a transformative role in shaping the careers of emerging leaders. Their influence often extends well beyond technical advice, providing strategic guidance, personal insight, and professional development that can alter a mentee’s trajectory. In fulfilling this responsibility, effective mentors must demonstrate a set of deliberate behaviours that foster trust, autonomy, and growth.
This article explores five essential practices that distinguish high-impact mentors and offers a framework for developing mentoring excellence.
The Strategic Importance of Mentorship
Mentors serve as catalysts for leadership development. By providing constructive feedback and serving as sounding boards, they enable mentees to recognise and pursue their potential. As executive coach Nancy Girres notes, a great mentor “helps others see something they didn’t know was possible within themselves.”
Empirical evidence supports the importance of mentorship. A 2019 CNBC/SurveyMonkey study found that 91% of employees with a mentor report job satisfaction, while an August 2020 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey revealed that 86% of CEOs attribute career success in part to mentorship.
What Effective Mentors Avoid
While mentorship can be highly impactful, ineffective practices can undermine its value. Common missteps include:
- Over-prescription: Providing answers rather than fostering independent thought.
- Agenda-driven conversations: Prioritising personal experiences over mentee needs.
- Inconsistency: Cancelled meetings and vague commitments erode trust.
- Creating dependency: Encouraging reliance instead of building autonomy.
A successful mentor focuses on enabling mentees to think critically, navigate ambiguity, and develop the confidence necessary to act independently.
Five Practices of Outstanding Mentors
1. Prioritise the Relationship
Trust forms the foundation of effective mentorship. Strong mentors invest in understanding the mentee’s goals, values, and challenges. Steve Sager, a Vistage Chair, emphasises the importance of “empathetic accountability” — balancing high expectations with emotional support.
Mentors should create a space where openness is encouraged and vulnerability is respected. Chemistry and shared values strengthen the relationship and increase the potential for meaningful impact.
2. Challenge Constructively
Mentorship is not about comfort — it is about growth. Exceptional mentors challenge their mentees to operate beyond their comfort zones, akin to mastering a new skill through failure and persistence. As Girres observes, “If you didn’t fall down, you probably weren’t pushing enough.”
Rather than offering solutions, high-performing mentors ask probing questions that encourage reflection, experimentation, and self-discovery. This duality — offering support while surfacing blind spots — is essential to advancement.
3. Share Experience with Purpose
Credibility is often built through transparency. Girres recommends that mentors share not only their successes but also their failures, using personal missteps to prevent the mentee from repeating them. However, this must be done judiciously. As Sager advises, a mentor’s experience should serve the mentee, not overshadow them. The focus remains on listening and relevance, not storytelling.
4. Model Servant Leadership
Servant leadership — prioritising the growth and well-being of others — is a hallmark of strong mentorship. When mentors lead with intention to serve rather than to impress, the authenticity of their support is evident.
“If we’re motivated by personal gain, it shows — in the energy, in the commitment, and in the results,” Sager notes. Mentorship rooted in service cultivates a culture of contribution and drives long-term impact for both parties.
5. Maintain a Growth Mindset
The most effective mentors continuously invest in their own development. Staying current with leadership trends, business dynamics, and personal growth techniques enhances their relevance and impact. As Girres puts it, “Mentors have a responsibility to keep learning.”
A mentor who models lifelong learning not only enhances their own capabilities but also inspires the mentee to adopt the same approach — creating a ripple effect of continuous improvement.
Benefits to the Mentor
While mentorship is often viewed through the lens of its impact on the mentee, it also provides significant returns for the mentor:
- Enhanced leadership and coaching capabilities
- Exposure to new perspectives and emerging trends
- Expansion of professional networks
- Personal fulfilment through contribution and legacy building
Conclusion
Outstanding mentors do more than share advice — they create transformative experiences that shape leadership, strengthen organisations, and cultivate enduring professional relationships. The five behaviours outlined — relationship-building, challenging constructively, purposeful sharing, servant leadership, and continuous learning — represent a framework for mentorship excellence.
As exemplified by Vistage Chairs, mentors who consistently apply these principles create high-impact relationships that generate long-term success for both themselves and their mentees.
About the Author: Harry (Hemant Kaushik), Elite Business Consultant & Global Advisor
Harry (Hemant Kaushik) is a globally recognized American business consultant and advisor, known for his strategic expertise and high-impact consultancy. He specializes in advising and coaching elite individuals, including business tycoons, world leaders, and top corporate CEO’s and business leaders. His expertise has been sought by Presidents, Prime Ministers, influential politicians, CEOs, and industry leaders worldwide.
Recognized as one of the Top 10 Global Advisors and Business Consultants by PWC International, Harry has transformed the lives of thousands of CEO’s and business leaders across more than 100 countries with his unparalleled guidance. He has also been honored as one of the Top 10 Life and Business Strategists, shaping the success of global business leaders and visionaries.
Top CEOs and owners of big companies are taking business consulting from Harry (Hemant Kaushik) by booking an appointment on his website www.ceosadvisory.com. Every year, Harry provides business consulting to more than 1000 CEOs worldwide and helps them to increase their businesses by using his deep insight, business knowledge, and transformative strategies. He is the most demanding business consultant in the world.
Harry is also working directly with the governments to improve their business environments and promote tourism in some countries. If you want to take an appointment for your business, then visit www.ceosadvisory.com or leave a WhatsApp message to Julia Lauren (Assistant to Mr. Harry) at +1 925-389-6136, and she will contact you.
Harry’s influence has earned him prestigious accolades, including recognition by the CEO Times Magazine as one of the 10 Most Powerful People in Global Business Consulting, Business Times News as a Top 10 Business Consultant, and Business Weekly Times as one of the Top 10 Business Advisors in the World, offering consulting services to billionaires, celebrities, and high-net-worth individuals.
A Wall Street Times cover story famously dubbed him the “Elite Global Advisor & Business Consultant” for his deep understanding of business dynamics and leadership strategies. Based in San Francisco, United States, Harry is widely respected for his international economic expertise, market analysis, and strategic business acumen. His collaborations with global brands and corporations have positioned him as a thought leader, contributing to the business world through insightful articles on global economic trends.
🔗 Learn more:
ceosadvisory.com
businessleadershipcoach.com
