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
When I first stepped into a leadership role, I did what many of us do, I mirrored the leadership styles I had seen in action as a young professional. I had seen Cathy Garner at the Housing Corporation back in the mid 90s invite me to a senior level meeting and me to reply "Why Cathy I don't have anything useful to say" and her saying "Barbra it is about being in the room. Come, it will not be a waste of your time". Brilliant advice. I also sub consciously took in the directive leaders, the nice to face not quite so nice behind your back leaders and began to learn that leadership means different things to different people. I also experienced leaders who manipulated and coerced me into positions that were simply not comfortable for a young female professional. What I came to learn that I had to be naturally me as a leader. Yes I over share, yes I make light of things, yes I am a glass half full person. I worked on recognising when that style didn't bring the best out of the people around me and I flexed my style. Uncomfortable but definitely rewarding. We all have it in our gift to ask "what kind of leader do I actually want to be?" In today’s leadership landscape, especially in the charity and non-profit sector, authenticity isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. According to recent research from CIPD, only 26% of L&D leaders feel their organisations are truly receptive to their ideas. That disconnect often stems from leaders not feeling confident in their own voice, or unsure how to bring their full selves to the table. Or bringing their full selves without filters and being told they are too loud, too this or too that. Why your leadership style matters Your leadership style shapes how people experience you — and how they experience their work. When you lead in a way that aligns with your values and personality, you create psychological safety, trust, and clarity. When you lead in a way that feels performative or borrowed, it can create confusion or even mistrust. When you lead without any consideration of what it is like to be on the other side of you I am sorry to say you will fail. Because not everyone will work well with the natural you. At Glee Coaching, I often work with new CEOs and senior leaders who are still figuring out what kind of leader they want to be. Some are navigating imposter syndrome. Others are trying to balance being approachable with being strategic. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all model. But there is a way to lead that feels like you — and that’s where the real impact happens. How to start finding your style Observe, but don’t copy. Learn from others, but filter it through your own values and strengths. Ask for feedback. Not just on performance, but on how people experience your leadership. Try tools that build self-awareness. Programmes like Discover Your Leadership Voice (which I run monthly) help leaders understand their natural communication style and how to adapt it to others. Reflect regularly. What’s working? What feels forced? What energises you? Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the clearest, most consistent version of yourself — and helping others do the same. Get in touch if you want to chat about how you can find your own style of leadership that works for you and those around you.
“I learnt a lot by going in and making the cups of tea, and hoovering up for them.” That quote came from Alan Adams, General Manager of Southport Flower Show and a guest on my podcast *The Unlikely Executive*. It stuck with me, not because it was about tea or hoovers ( though I do like the former, the latter less so), but because it captured something about a certain type of leadership: the insight that comes from experiencing all aspects of the organisation. I believe this links to leader empathy. In the charity sector, I have met three broad types of leaders 1. those who have 'worked' their way up 2. those who have pivoted from private to third sector and entered at a senior level (more about them in a later newsletter article) 3. those who have almost been pushed into leadership through personal circumstance (for example those who set up charities on the back of a personal trauma - again I will post about this at a later date) Today I want to focus on those who have worked their way up. They’ve been on the frontlines, run community events, answered helpline calls. That experience gives them a deep understanding of the people they serve and the teams they lead. But what if you didn’t start there? What if you came into leadership from another sector, or stepped into a senior role early in your career? Does that mean you’re missing something? Not necessarily. But it does mean you need to be intentional about how you connect with the frontline. Why it matters Leaders who understand the day-to-day realities of their teams make better decisions. They build more trust. They’re more likely to spot issues early and respond with empathy. In a recent People Management report, 41% of UK businesses now see learning and development as central to their strategy. That includes developing leaders who can connect across levels — not just manage from the top. How to build that connection (even if you didn’t start at the bottom) Spend time with your team. Not just in meetings, but in their world. Sit in on calls. Visit service sites. Ask questions. Listen without fixing. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is listen without jumping in with a solution. Be curious, not performative. People can tell when you’re ticking a box. Show genuine interest in their work and challenges. Share your own learning curve. Vulnerability builds trust. If you’re learning, say so. - my own personal favourite - have a work experience week - where you do a role that you have never tried before and take advice and guidance from the current postholder. At Glee, I work with leaders who want to lead with more empathy and impact — whether they started on the frontlines or not. What matters most is your willingness to understand, adapt, and grow. Because leadership isn’t about where you started. It’s about how you show up now.
