The most effective mentoring relationships exist outside the immediate boss–sub-
ordinate interface.^61 The boss–subordinate context has an inherent conflict of interest
and tension, mostly attributable to managers’ direct evaluation of the performance of
subordinates, that limits openness and meaningful communication.
Why would a leader want to be a mentor? There are personal benefits to the leader
as well as benefits for the organization. The mentor–protégé relationship gives the men-
tor unfiltered access to the attitudes and feelings of lower-ranking employees. Protégés
can be an excellent source of information on potential problems; they can provide early
warning signals to upper managers because they short-circuit the formal channels. So the
mentor–protégé relationship is a valuable communication channel that allows men-
tors to learn about problems before they become common knowledge to others in
upper management. In addition, in terms of leader self-interest, mentoring can pro-
vide personal satisfaction to senior executives. It gives them the opportunity to share with
others the knowledge and experience that they have developed over many years.
From the organization’s standpoint, mentoring provides a support system for high-
potential employees. Where mentors exist, protégés are often more motivated, better
grounded politically, and less likely to quit. A recent comprehensive review of the
research, for instance, found that mentoring provided substantial benefits to protégés.^62
Specifically, mentored employees had higher compensation, a larger number of pro-
motions, and were more satisfied with their careers than their nonmentored counterparts.
Are all employees in an organization equally likely to participate in a mentoring
relationship? Unfortunately the answer is no.^63 The evidence indicates that minorities
and women are less likely to be chosen as protégés than are white males and thus they
are less likely to accrue the benefits of mentorship. Mentors tend to select protégés who
are similar to themselves in criteria such as background, education, gender, race, ethnicity,
and religion. “People naturally move to mentor and can more easily communicate with
those with whom they most closely identify.”^64
In a twist to the typical mentoring-down idea, Procter & Gamble introduced a
Mentoring Up program to help senior managers become more aware of what female
managers can contribute to the organization. In its program, mid-level female man-
agers mentor senior-level male executives. The program has led to fewer departures of
female managers and has exposed women to top decision makers.^65Coaching
A number of organizations have introduced coaching, which is different from mentoring.
“Mentoring, at its best, involves a longer term relationship in which there is an emotional
attachment between mentor and protégé.”^66 By contrast, coaching is often more task ori-
ented and short term. Coaching is used by senior and middle managers in particular,
although other managers use coaching as part of their leadership style. A good coach- Emphasizes self-development and self-discovery of the person being coached
- Offers the person being coached constructive feedback on how to improve
- Meets regularly with the person being coached
- Is a good listener
- Challenges the person being coached to perform
- Sets realistic standards for the person being coached to achieve.^67
Providing Team Leadership
Increasingly leadership is taking place within a team context. As teams grow in popularity,
the role of the leader in guiding team members takes on more importance.^68 Also,
because of its more collaborative nature, the role of team leader differs from the tradi-274 Part 4Sharing the Organizational Vision