Making the Most of Mentoring (1 of 5)

Lesson 1: Get Beyond Mentoring Programs
In their Harvard Business Review article, Brad Johnson and David Smith highlight challenges with formal mentoring programs. They’ve observed some of the same challenges I’ve seen, including:

The challenge of spontaneous meetings.
Adherence to a traditional hierarchy.
The occasional participation of less than willing mentors.

Past guest Dorie Clark writes:
Your career needs many mentors, not just one.
Past guest John Maxwell adds:
Everyone needs more than one mentor. No one does everything well, and no single person shares all of your strengths.
Past guest Rita McGrath reminds us that:
Snow melts from the edges. The most effective leaders can and will see this if they are present at the edges.
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Resources

Real Mentorship Starts with Company Culture, Not Formal Programs by Brad Johnson and David Smith
Your Career Needs Many Mentors, Not Just One by Dorie Clark
The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John Maxwell
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen by Rita McGrath

Related Episodes

How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430)
How to Motivate Leaders, with John Maxwell (episode 452)

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