Senior managers are extremely brave people. After years of establishing expertise in one or two key functional areas or industries, they take up a role in which they are expected to be able to understand and master all the different aspects of the business.
From day one, they need to have an employee culture that empowers the employees and satisfies the customers, and a business model that really works. This requires a high level of aptitude across a number of competencies as failure in any one area can have a disastrous effect on the company.
Often the success of a company rests on their leadership abilities. When in situ they are expected to need little professional development, to be a charismatic leader, an effective manager, to have knowledge of their industry and emerging trends, and an ability to understand the differing activities of the business. The more complex the company is, the higher the level of expectation that is placed upon them.
To ensure that they deliver what is expected of them, productive leaders must ensure the successful marriage of their own management and leadership skills. As a result, they often hire the services of an external mentor.
Coaching begins with the premise that the answers are within the person being coached. A coach is non-directional and never provides advice. By contrast, a mentor is an expert who provides guidance and advice within a more developmental relationship.
There is a high expectation from shareholders, the board, employees and other stakeholders that the business leader is always able to clearly assess the optimum direction of the company.
They face many important strategic decisions and to confide that they are uncertain can signal a vulnerability that may weaken their position, and cause doubt in their subordinates. This can be disastrous.
There can be times when they are unsure who they can trust in the organisation especially if they are experiencing doubt in a decision that they need to make. It can be lonely at the top especially if there isn't someone trustworthy to confide in.2008-04-15
By working with a mentor, a business owner is able to role play the likely resistance that he may receive and therefore be more prepared when it comes to discussing his ideas. He or she can ensure that they take an objective stance rather than an emotional one and is being as strategic or operational in outlook as the situation requires.
It is common for mentors to attend the occasional key meeting to observe the way the leader interacts with his team as well as how the team interacts as a whole. The insight that the mentor provides can enable the leader to clearly see how to improve the dynamics of the team and improve its productivity and efficiency.
The best mentors work across industries, therefore easily transferring best practice from one industry to the next. This enables the leader to remain fresh and able to more closely identify emerging trends within his or her own area, through more objective thinking.
There are only two main reasons why mentoring doesn't work: if there is a bad fit between the mentor and mentee or if the leader is not ready to be open and honest with his mentor and be willing to move out of his comfort zone.
Mentoring is often much more beneficial to business leaders than traditional coaching practices as it provides senior management with an external sounding bound, someone who can practically assess and advise on the problematic issues within the organisation as a whole, and will not just sit back and wait for the answers to ‘come from within'.
Mentoring works when the mentee understands the needs to be challenged and to continue his personal development to realise his achievements and to ensure the likelihood of his company's success.
Judith Germain is managing director of Dynamic Transitions. For more information visit www.developing-leadership.com
