Episode 27 - Leadership Mentoring

In this episode, Rob Adams discusses the transformative power of mentoring in leadership. He shares a poignant story about a cafeteria worker, Denise, who mentored a struggling student, Maria, helping her realize her potential and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. The conversation emphasizes that mentoring is about investing in others, building confidence, and fostering relationships rather than merely providing advice. Rob outlines key habits for effective mentoring, encouraging leaders to notice potential in others, ask insightful questions, and maintain consistent support.

takeaways

• Mentoring is about investing in someone else's future.
• Great mentors transfer wisdom, build confidence, and shape character.
• Mentoring is a mindset, not just a program.
• Focus on those who doubt their potential.
• Mentors call people up to become more than they believe they can be.
• Mentorship benefits both the mentor and mentee.
• Effective mentoring involves noticing, inviting, and supporting.
• Ask questions rather than giving advice.
• Consistency is key in mentoring relationships.
• Great leaders multiply their impact through mentoring.

titles

• The Power of Mentoring in Leadership
• Transforming Lives Through Mentorship

Sound Bites

• "Mentoring isn't about giving advice."
• "Great mentors don't just teach skills."
• "You just don't know it yet. But I do."

Chapters

00:00

The Essence of Mentoring

04:09

The Impact of Mentorship

06:16

Habits of a Meaningful Mentor

08:56

A Student of Leadership Outro.wav

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
[Podcast Intro]Welcome to a student of leadership, a micro
[Podcast Intro]podcast where leaders are made one habit at
[Podcast Intro]a time. Hosted by Rob Adams, Adams, a
[Podcast Intro]leadership veteran with thirty years of experience, this
[Podcast Intro]podcast explores key concepts that define exceptional leadership.
[Podcast Intro]Each episode delves into a powerful word or
[Podcast Intro]strategy offering practical insights and real world stories.

(00:28):
[Podcast Intro]Whether you're just starting out or an experienced
[Podcast Intro]executive, join Rob as he guides you in
[Podcast Intro]learning, growing, and leading with purpose.
[Rob Adams]Welcome back everybody, Rob Adams, your micro podcast

(00:52):
[Rob Adams]host of A Student of Leadership, and this
[Rob Adams]is where great leaders are made, one fabulous
[Rob Adams]habit at a time. Today, we are unpacking
[Rob Adams]one of the most legacy building practices in
[Rob Adams]leadership, and it's a great one right behind
[Rob Adams]the coaching one we just covered. This is
[Rob Adams]on mentoring. Mentoring isn't about giving advice or

(01:15):
[Rob Adams]telling your story. It's about investing in someone
[Rob Adams]else's future by offering your experience time and
[Rob Adams]belief. Great mentors don't just teach skills, they
[Rob Adams]transfer wisdom, build confidence, and shape character. They
[Rob Adams]see not only where someone is, but where

(01:38):
[Rob Adams]they could go. And in today's story, you'll
[Rob Adams]see what happens when a mentor sees potential
[Rob Adams]that even the mentee can't yet see in
[Rob Adams]themselves. The story is about a cafeteria worker
[Rob Adams]and the future nurse. And the story takes
[Rob Adams]place in a public high school in the

(02:00):
[Rob Adams]state of Michigan, not in the classroom classroom,
[Rob Adams]but in the cafeteria. Denise, a long time
[Rob Adams]cafeteria worker, noticed that a student named Maria
[Rob Adams]came through the lunch line every day with
[Rob Adams]her head down and she barely spoke. Maria's
[Rob Adams]family had recently immigrated from Guatemala. She was

(02:22):
[Rob Adams]struggling with English, confidence, and connection with others.
[Rob Adams]But Denise didn't ignore her. She started with
[Rob Adams]a simple smile, and then she started teaching
[Rob Adams]Maria a new English word every day. On
[Rob Adams]a sticky note, confidence, courage, future. Over the

(02:48):
[Rob Adams]months, Maria opened up. They started having some
[Rob Adams]dialogue. Denise began asking her questions. Not about
[Rob Adams]food, but about her dreams. Maria admitted she
[Rob Adams]wanted to be a nurse, but didn't think
[Rob Adams]someone like her could even do that. Denise

(03:10):
[Rob Adams]didn't lecture or push, she just simply said,
[Rob Adams]you can. You just don't know it yet.
[Rob Adams]But I do. I believe in you. She
[Rob Adams]helped Maria research nursing programs. She found her
[Rob Adams]a tutor. She connected her with a former
[Rob Adams]student who had made it through. And she

(03:32):
[Rob Adams]showed up to Maria's high school graduation with
[Rob Adams]a card that said, now go do it.
[Rob Adams]Today, Maria is a practicing nurse in Detroit,
[Rob Adams]Michigan. She says she never would have made
[Rob Adams]it without Miss Denise. Not because Denise had
[Rob Adams]all of the answers, but because she showed

(03:54):
[Rob Adams]up, believed in her, and she stayed. That's
[Rob Adams]true mentoring. Quiet, powerful, and yes, life altering.
[Rob Adams]Now let's get into some real talk. Are
[Rob Adams]you a mentor or just being a boss?

(04:16):
[Rob Adams]Let's get a little bit honest here. You
[Rob Adams]see mentoring isn't a program or a meeting
[Rob Adams]on your calendar. It's a mindset. A decision
[Rob Adams]to notice, engage, and support someone else's own
[Rob Adams]personal journey. Now here's the gut check. Is

(04:37):
[Rob Adams]there someone in your orbit who's full of
[Rob Adams]potential, but maybe below low on their own
[Rob Adams]belief? That's who needs a mentor. Not your
[Rob Adams]top performer, not even your rising star. Know
[Rob Adams]the one who doubts that they belong in

(04:58):
[Rob Adams]the room is the one that you should
[Rob Adams]be focused on. The one who doesn't yet
[Rob Adams]see what they're capable of. Great leaders don't
[Rob Adams]wait to be asked to mentor, they go
[Rob Adams]first. And John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball
[Rob Adams]coach once said, a good coach can change

(05:19):
[Rob Adams]a game. A great coach can change a
[Rob Adams]life. That is mentoring in a very simple
[Rob Adams]sentence. Now the real insight to that is
[Rob Adams]mentors don't just pass down information, they call
[Rob Adams]people up to become more than they believe

(05:42):
[Rob Adams]they can possibly be. A Gartner study found
[Rob Adams]that mentees are twenty five percent more likely
[Rob Adams]to be promoted and highly engaged at work.
[Rob Adams]But here's the kicker, mentors also report greater
[Rob Adams]job satisfaction, loyalty, and purpose. Mentorship lifts both

(06:05):
[Rob Adams]sides of the equation here. It's not a
[Rob Adams]transaction. It is a relationship that changes everyone
[Rob Adams]that's involved in the process. Now let's get
[Rob Adams]into some habits that stick. Here are three
[Rob Adams]ways to be a meaningful mentor. And you
[Rob Adams]don't need a title to be a mentor.
[Rob Adams]You just have to be having a commitment

(06:29):
[Rob Adams]to these three behaviors. First of all, notice
[Rob Adams]and invite. Look around. Who's flying under the
[Rob Adams]radar? Say to yourself, I see potential in
[Rob Adams]you. Can we talk about where you're headed?
[Rob Adams]Number two, ask don't tell. See great mentors

(06:51):
[Rob Adams]don't lecture, they ask. What's your biggest obstacle?
[Rob Adams]What would success look like for you? And
[Rob Adams]then they close their mouth and they listen
[Rob Adams]deeply. And number three, stay consistent. Mentorship is
[Rob Adams]about in the in between moments. And follow-up,

(07:14):
[Rob Adams]check-in, send a text, share an article, be
[Rob Adams]the voice that says keep going, keep moving,
[Rob Adams]you've got this. Your action challenge for this
[Rob Adams]week is, I want you to think of
[Rob Adams]someone in your world. Someone not getting the
[Rob Adams]attention that they deserve. Could be a new
[Rob Adams]hire, a junior employee, or a quiet team

(07:36):
[Rob Adams]member. This week, I want you to reach
[Rob Adams]out to them. Ask how can I support
[Rob Adams]your growth right now, immediately? Then do one
[Rob Adams]more thing to help them move forward. That's
[Rob Adams]the start of a mentoring relationship. Simple, intentional,

(07:56):
[Rob Adams]and lasting. Because the greatest mentors don't change
[Rob Adams]people with a speech, they change people with
[Rob Adams]their presence. Mentoring is how leaders multiply their
[Rob Adams]impact. It's how wisdom lives on. It's how
[Rob Adams]we grow, not just performers, but people. Now

(08:19):
[Rob Adams]next week on a Student of Leadership micro
[Rob Adams]podcast, we're going to explore sponsorship. A bold
[Rob Adams]leadership behavior that goes beyond mentoring by actively
[Rob Adams]advocating for someone's success when they are not
[Rob Adams]in the room. That could be called a

(08:39):
[Rob Adams]third party compliment. Until then, keep building the
[Rob Adams]habits that make great leaders, and remember that
[Rob Adams]great leaders are made one habit at a
[Rob Adams]time. Until next time, this is Rob Adams
[Rob Adams]signing off for now. Take care, everybody.
[Podcast Intro]Thanks for tuning in to this episode of
[Podcast Intro]the student of leadership. Leadership is about who

(09:03):
[Podcast Intro]we become and how we help others grow.
[Podcast Intro]If you found value in this podcast, share
[Podcast Intro]it with a fellow leader and connect with
[Podcast Intro]Rob on LinkedIn or leave a review. New
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[Podcast Intro]to stay connected. Until next time, keep learning,
[Podcast Intro]growing, and leading with intention. Remember, great leaders

(09:23):
[Podcast Intro]are made one habit at a time. See