Beyond Knowledge: 7 Intangible Benefits of Being Mentored in Your Leadership Development

January is National Mentor Month so we’re going to look at 7 Intangible Benefits of Being Mentored. And it would be interesting to know how mentorship has impacted you as a leader.

Mentors stretch us, believe in us, and take us beyond where we could go on our own.
They are people we want to learn from, follow, and emulate.

I’m grateful for having many mentors throughout my career, each with different areas of focus. My first mentor was my supervisor in becoming a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. 

Beyond knowledge of family systems and theory, she taught me the nuances of human behavior that shaped my leadership in guiding couples, families, and now today, teams through conflict.

7 Intangible Benefits of Being Mentored: 

1. How to see beyond the surface of relationships in conflict
2. The mindset to focus on strengths vs. limitations
3. Viewing challenges as opportunities to grow
4. Interpersonal skills to navigate difficult relationships
5. The importance of taking responsibility for my part in a relationship
6. The impact of how our family upbringing impacts us, including at work
7. The role of inner work in being a healthy influence on others

Many times, when I would ask questions hoping for quick answers. She would smile with a twinkle in her eye, “It’s an opportunity to grow, I trust you’ll figure it out.”

By asking more questions than providing answers, she taught me how to find my own answers, that accelerated my growth. 

In honor of National Mentor Month, consider…

1. Who is someone who has been a mentor in your leadership or personal growth that has helped you get to where you are today? 
2. In what ways has their mentorship impacted you?
3. What might change in your leadership if you viewed part of your role as a mentor to your employees?

Celebrating the 7 Intangible Benefits of Being Mentored.

About the author 

Bonnie Artman Fox, MS, LMFT works with executive leaders who want to gain self-awareness about the impact of their words and actions and up-level their interpersonal skills. 

Drawing from decades as a psychiatric nurse and licensed family therapist, Bonnie brings a unique perspective to equip executive leaders with the roadmap to emotional intelligence that brings teams together. 

Bonnie’s leadership Turnaround coaching program has an 82% success rate in guiding leaders to replace abrasive behavior with tact, empathy, and consideration of others. The end result is a happy, healthy, and profitable workplace…sooner vs. later.