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In an age of echo chambers and generational divide, reverse mentoring strides onto the scene, turning over hierarchies and proclaiming new strategies.

The evolution of an idea

A term first made popular by Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, reverse mentoring seeks to partner a senior employee with a junior one, so that the younger can teach the older. The original motivation behind this was to enable the senior workers to become versed in the technological tools that were forcing out the old ways of working. In the words of Welch, they “tipped the organisation upside down.”

Reverse mentoring has a different emphasis now, though the need for senior employees to learn new tech remains in some industries. The benefits now go two ways: senior employees learn to see from another perspective, junior employees gain a communication link to the top. In its best forms, reverse mentoring fosters connection, understanding and empathy – this worked to interesting effect at The Guardian. Ideally, reverse mentoring allows relationships to form, instead of a series of forced conversations over coffee.

In many ways, reverse mentoring is simply collective leadership rebranded. If you give an old idea a new name, then the idea might safely sail its way into the heart of hierarchical territory as an accepted model. Reverse mentoring has become a trojan horse.  

The power and pitfalls of language

Language is our way of making sense of an idea. The trouble is that language can become a substitute for an idea, a dynamic the Center for Creative Leadership describes as “similar to seeing a country on a map and therefore thinking one understands the people who live there.” As a result, reverse mentoring can mean one thing to General Electric and another to The Guardian. A new term can quickly become a buzzword. We can mistake one thing for another.

Reverse mentoring is important. But it is part of a wider search to understand what good leadership is and when power matters. It is a reinforcement of an idea voiced by Craig Pearce of MEF University: “knowledge trumps position when it comes to leadership.”

The redefining of leadership finds form in Barry Oshry’s system thinking, in network leadership, in self-organising teams. Reverse mentoring is another on the list. Each may appeal to different leaders, to different industries. In many ways, we are all talking about the same idea and believing we are innovative unique because of the terminology we use.

The philosophy found beneath

The emphasis of reverse mentoring is to share knowledge across systems. It allows influence to rise up as well as trickle down. It melts the ice that can form around an insular boardroom or an intimidated junior team. The legacy it leaves may well be in millennial retention as new employees feel less like pawns and more part of a collective. Meanwhile, those closer to the executive end may discover how many answers lie buried within their organisation.

Reverse mentoring can be a core ingredient in changing the culture of a system, especially if the more radical forms of collective leadership cannot yet be implemented. We established it as a key part of our Leading Together programme, which sought to build bridges between 120 health professionals and lay people. The key philosophy was that everybody had something to learn.

As we press into truer expressions of leadership, fresh waves of language will continue to wash over the leadership world. Some will become entry points for people still yet to shake off their outmoded models of leadership. We can celebrate most of them, so long as we don’t mistake the language for the actual process. The language of reverse mentoring may come and go, but its philosophy will continue to influence industries for many years to come.

To learn more about reverse mentoring, please contact us.

Leadership, as an act of social influence, is not related to a defined leadership role, but it is more related to an internal journey we can take as individuals – one that leads us to became a role model for others.

Managerial positions do not always create good leaders! Instead there are many leaders that create the best position for themselves by providing value to others.

So how can we discover and develop our leadership style, as an act of social influence?

First of all we have to remember that leadership development is an ongoing process rather than a short-term program. It is a journey of self-awareness that starts from an individual’s values and belief. It is a non-stop learning experience.

Some months ago, an entrepreneur I worked with, Mario, described some of the steps he took to develop his current leadership style. I have seen the same steps being taken by many other successful leaders and social influencers.

Mario started his personal leadership journey at the end of the 90s – during his holidays whilst studying at university. He went to a small town in Congo where he worked as a young engineer. He was supposed to teach to the community’s residents how to create and maintain basic infrastructures.

The first challenge he faced was that he had to learn the local dialect spoken by the community, and compare his technical knowledge with the locals’ beliefs and traditions.

The first lesson Mario learnt about leadership was ‘never think that the things you think you know are always true’.

So he started to learn again.

When he understood worries, doubt and beliefs people had about that work, he started telling a story about a better reality that answered their needs and desires.

The second lesson Mario gave me was: always help people to dream bigger. Shared vision has a double advantage – it helps you defining your values and your beliefs and it gives to others the possibility to see beyond their usual perspective.

Then, Mario identified the ‘local leaders’, the ones who had the possibility to influence other people, and he started mentoring them. Developing other individuals’ leadership style was the most effective tool Mario discovered to achieve the shared goals.

The third lesson from Mario, and probably the most important one, is ‘always be wise enough to not be afraid of other people’s potential’. When you invest your time in others they will grow stronger, and they will always thank you for your time and knowledge. Personally, the people I appreciate the most are the ones who have been my mentors. These individuals are the ones I endorse when people ask me to recommend a good professional. They shared a vision that made me stronger and wiser.

There are many young professionals I meet that are too often afraid of dedicating time and energy to sharing their knowledge and vision with their colleagues. There are few people that dedicate themselves to being a mentor of someone – especially if it is not required by their job description. But remember: when you mentor another human being, you are developing and defining your own leadership style. Only the ones who feel strong and comfortable enough to dedicate time to mentoring others are the ones who can indeed lead change.

Mario’s story and many other testimonies confirm that to become a better leader, it is important to be a mentor for someone else.

This is a guest post from Eleonora Ferrero, Executives and Leadership Coach.