Leadership
Mentorship: Finding and Being a Mentor
15 September 2026 · Global Women's Week
Both sides of mentorship are skills — here's how to do each well.
The best mentor relationships start with a specific, narrow ask ('could I ask you three questions about your career path') rather than a vague 'will you be my mentor.' Specificity respects the other person's time and gets a faster yes.
Good mentors don't hand over answers — they ask better questions and share relevant experience, letting the mentee reach their own conclusions. This makes the guidance more durable.
Being a mentor is also a leadership skill worth building deliberately — it sharpens your own thinking, and organizations increasingly value it as evidence of leadership readiness.
Quick tips
- Start mentor requests with a specific, small ask
- As a mentor, ask questions before offering answers
- Mentoring others is itself a leadership credential — don't wait until you feel 'senior enough'