The value of Mentoring Others
Barbra Carlisle • April 4, 2025
The Power of Mentorship: How Investing in Others Fuels Business Success
When Chelsea was at school she didn't know what she wanted to do. Her world was limited to what she knew around her. This is the case for so many of us, influenced by our family, school careers teacher and teachers. If the general aspiration is low then that is what we take with us into our post school years.
Fortunately for Chelsea someone came to do a talk at school, and spoke about the world of media. Chelsea was interested and explored options, ending up going to college which led her to working in marketing in the IT sector. Here she discovered a love of IT but didn't quite love the isolation she felt as one of the only women in the room. This itself sparked a passion, to improve representation and experience of women in tech. She founded Innovate her and helps 100s of girls nurture their passion in IT.
It is likely that there have been pivotal moments in your journey that have been influenced by someone else’s wisdom, encouragement, or challenge. They may have been a formal or incidental mentor.
A mentor unlocks potential, fostering confidence, and inspiring action. It isn’t just valuable for the mentee; it offers significant benefits for the mentor and for businesses that embed mentoring into their culture.
In a world where organisations are striving for greater engagement, leadership development, and community impact, mentorship emerges as a powerful, practical solution.
Why Mentorship Matters
A recent report from Deloitte (2023) found that employees with mentors are 68% more likely to be promoted
within five years. Mentorship accelerates learning, deepens confidence, and provides the safe space people need to develop leadership skills. But beyond personal growth, there’s a business case: companies that promote mentorship have retention rates 50% higher
than those that don’t (CIPD, 2023).
For businesses, mentoring can:
- Strengthen leadership pipelines.
- Increase engagement and reduce turnover.
- Improve problem-solving by exposing people to diverse perspectives.
The Dual Benefit: Being a Mentor and a Mentee
There’s often a misconception that mentoring is a one-way street—the experienced professional imparts wisdom to the novice. But great mentoring relationships are reciprocal.
A mentor benefits by:
✔ Sharpening leadership and coaching skills.
✔ Gaining fresh insights from a different perspective.
✔ Finding fulfilment in seeing someone else grow.
A mentee benefits by:
✔ Receiving encouragement, challenge, and clarity.
✔ Developing strategic thinking and leadership confidence.
✔ Building connections that open doors to new opportunities.
How Different People Approach Mentorship
People experience and approach mentorship in different ways. Some thrive in structured, goal-oriented mentoring relationships, while others prefer organic, story-driven guidance. Recognising these differences helps make mentoring more impactful.
🔹 The Practical Thinker values structured mentoring with clear objectives and measurable outcomes.
🔹 The Relational Connector thrives in informal, story-based mentoring where trust is built over time.
🔹 The Big-Picture Visionary appreciates mentoring that challenges conventional thinking and encourages bold ideas.
🔹 The Detail-Oriented Strategist benefits from deep, one-to-one coaching that refines decision-making.
🔹 The Empathetic Listener is drawn to mentoring that builds confidence and nurtures strengths.
Understanding these different styles means that businesses can design mentorship programs that truly resonate with all employees.
The Untapped Potential of Business Mentoring Programs
Many companies already offer volunteer days—what if more of these were used for mentoring?
Community-based mentoring has tangible benefits. Studies by the National Mentoring Partnership UK (2022) found that 93% of mentees who receive professional mentoring feel more prepared for their careers. When businesses encourage employees to mentor beyond their organisation—whether it’s helping young professionals, supporting social enterprises, or advising charities—they create lasting impact while also developing their people.
- For Employees: Mentoring outside their own organisation builds confidence, perspective, and new leadership skills.
- For Businesses: It strengthens employer branding, fosters a culture of giving back, and develops more well-rounded leaders.
- For Society: It ensures valuable knowledge is shared and that emerging leaders, particularly in charities and non-profits, receive the guidance they need.
How to Get Started
Mentorship doesn’t have to be a formal, long-term commitment to be impactful. Here are three simple ways to integrate mentorship into your leadership approach:
- Start Small: Identify one person you could mentor or seek out someone who could challenge and guide you.
- Embed It in Your Culture: Encourage a mindset where “everyone has something to teach and something to learn.”
- Use Volunteer Days for Mentoring: Support employees in mentoring emerging leaders outside the organisation.
Final Thought: Mentorship is a Leadership Responsibility
Mentorship isn’t just a ‘nice to have’—it’s a strategic, high-impact investment in people. Whether you’re guiding someone within your business or using your volunteer day to mentor an aspiring leader in a non-profit, you’re shaping the future of leadership.
What’s one mentoring relationship that’s shaped your leadership?
Book a conversation with Barbra from Glee Coaching to explore how mentorship can be embedded into your organisation’s culture. Email barbra@gleecoaching.com
Introduction Going down to London a couple of weeks ago I was looking forward to putting on a good podcast and ignoring everything and everyone around me. That is until a woman, Melanie, came and plonked down next to me, with her pile of papers and her phone ringing. Once she had taken the call, she smiled at me, I smiled back and this led to a 2 and half hour conversation on all things from professional development to managing long distant relationships. I got off the train more energised, connected and ready for the day than if I had stuck my headphones in. We arranged to meet for a coffee back in Liverpool. Why am I telling you this? Because in business, we often talk about the importance of networks and collaboration—but what if some of the most transformative insights come not from your inner circle, but from a stranger on a train, a chance encounter at a conference, or a casual conversation over coffee? The Research A recent UK study from the University of Essex (Sandstrom et al., 2022) showed that small talk with strangers can significantly improve mood, empathy, and creativity. More importantly, these fleeting interactions often lead to the sharing of ideas that would otherwise remain siloed. In a time when innovation and agility are everything, this matters. Another UK study by Nesta (2019) on innovation diffusion found that ideas spread faster in communities where “weak ties” are strong—those acquaintances and peripheral connections that sit just outside our usual networks. They introduce novelty and challenge groupthink, something every CEO navigating complexity should pay attention to. The Leadership Lens When I work with CEOs, those in peer networks always value that outside in perspective, a fresh set of eyes. When I interviewed Tom Morgan for The Unlikely Executive Podcast he highlighted the power of talking to absolute strangers. His stranger was on the side of a soccer pitch. Showing that real breakthroughs can happen when you put down your guard and just share what your thoughts and ideas are. The 5 Voices framework reminds us that each person has a unique voice—and when we only surround ourselves with people who speak “like us,” we lose access to vital perspectives. When leaders only stay within their trusted circle, something important is lost. You may protect consistency and control (a strength of the Guardian), but you risk missing the unexpected insight that could change everything. Often, it’s the Creative or Connector in the room who first sees the value in an offhand comment or a half-formed idea. These seemingly small conversations—ones we often don’t prioritise—are where innovation is born.” The Call So here’s an invitation: be deliberate about bumping into brilliance. Attend a meet-up that’s outside your industry. Talk to a stranger, say hello as a starter! This method was used by Mel Robbins to great effect when she moved home and is outlined in her brilliant book Let Them. Most of all, create cultures where your team talks beyond their silos too. You might be surprised by where the next big idea comes from—and who it comes from. Curious what kind of conversations might unlock new thinking for you as a leader? Let’s talk. barbra@gleecoaching.com
Introduction Starting a business with friends is thrilling. There is an overarching sense of relief that you don't have to do it alone -you can do it with your bestie! yay! Fast forward 18 months, and the Yay! can turn into Nay! Misaligned expectations, unspoken assumptions, and personality clashes often threaten what was once a shared vision. How can co-directors stay aligned—and stay friends? The Research The UK’s ScaleUp Institute (2022) found that the biggest internal challenge to scale-up growth isn’t funding or sales—it’s leadership alignment. Misalignment at the top leads to strategic drift, team confusion, and burnout. The London Business School’s study on entrepreneurial team dynamics (Lechler & Ensley, 2021) highlights that psychological safety, clear communication, and complementary leadership styles are essential for co-founder success. The Voice of Alignment Most founder teams don’t fall apart because they disagree on what they want to build. It’s how they build it—how they make decisions, how they handle conflict, how they communicate under pressure. One founder might lead with relentless vision, what I call the Pioneer perspective, while another is carefully evaluating risk (taking a Guardian perspective). One might want harmony above all else (Nurturer), and another thrives on energy and visibility (Connector). The key is not to flatten those differences, but to name and honour them.” As a co-director of a brilliant social research agency Michael and I were super excited when we set out - we even got to take clients with us! Yay! However our personalities and life stage were so so different that tensions started to arise. - One of us wanted to renegotiate the agreed starting salary - one of us didn't - One of us was a laissez faire leader, one of us wasn't - One of us put our people first, one of us didn't - One of us blended work with social life, the other just wanted to go home and be with their family - One of us was single and footloose, one of us was married with responsibilities. None of the above were unresolvable but we were unable to resolve due to lack of appreciation of each other, and pressures from around us. I wish I had sought out the support of a coach, I would have loved it if we had both had coaching before it was too late. The Call If you’re building something with someone you respect and care about, take the time to build how you build. A business plan is vital—but so is a relationship plan. Talk to one another about your needs and desires, and share your observations on how you think the relationship, not just the business is going. Let’s ensure your founding team is aligned not just on the product, but on purpose, pace, and process. If you want to run through your thoughts get in touch with me, I would love to be able to help you, and your friend, be totally awesome! https://zcal.co/barbracarlisle/30min
