You want to be a better leader. How can coaching and mentoring help you achieve that?

Coaching and mentoring provide personalized guidance, feedback, and support tailored to my leadership development needs. By offering insights, strategies, and accountability, they empower me to enhance self-awareness, refine leadership skills, and cultivate a positive impact on my team and organization.

Coaching involves working with a trained professional in a process of self discovery and self awareness. Working together, the coach helps the individual identify strengths and develop goals. Together, the coach and coachee practice and build the skills and behaviour required to make progress toward the goal.

Coaching is a collaborative and goal-oriented process that empowers individuals to maximize their potential and achieve their personal and professional goals. A coach provides support, guidance, and accountability to help clients identify their strengths, overcome challenges, and develop action plans for success. Coaching sessions typically involve thought-provoking conversations, goal-setting exercises, and actionable feedback to facilitate growth and self-discovery.

Mentoring involves a trusted and experienced individual (mentor) providing guidance, support, and advice to a less experienced individual (mentee) based on their own knowledge and expertise. Unlike coaching, which focuses on skill development and goal achievement, mentoring emphasizes personal and professional development through the sharing of wisdom, insights, and experiences. Mentoring relationships often involve informal discussions, mentorship meetings, and role modelling to support the mentee's growth and development.

A mentor is typically an individual with more experience in an area of interest to a less experienced person, or mentee. A mentor is farther along in their career path that can help a mentee navigate their own career journey. They can provide valuable guidance and empowerment to a mentee to assist them in reaching their professional goals. The mentor shares their knowledge, experience, and advice with the mentee.

Coaching and mentoring differ primarily in their focus, structure, and purpose. Coaching is typically more structured and goal-oriented, focusing on specific skill development and performance improvement. Mentoring, on the other hand, tends to be more relationship-based and holistic, focusing on broader personal and professional development. While coaching emphasizes accountability and action planning, mentoring emphasizes guidance, support, and wisdom sharing from the mentor's own experiences.

Finding a coach or mentor begins with self-awareness and clarity about your goals and aspirations. Research potential coaches or mentors who align with your values, goals, and areas of interest. Seek recommendations from colleagues, peers, or professional networks, and consider reaching out to individuals whose expertise and experience resonate with you. Be proactive in reaching out to potential coaches or mentors, and be prepared to articulate your goals and expectations for the relationship.

To find a mentor, check related professional organizations, schools or universities, or mentor.org for available mentorship programs. To find a coach, research credentialed coaches and explore profiles to identify what type of coach you connect most with. Some coaches specialize in certain forms of coaching, such as executive coaching.

After you've decided whether you need a coach or a mentor, it is important to make sure that you are on the same wavelength as the other person. Your values and thinking should match, otherwise it can be a very unfulfilling relationship. Talking to different coaches (at least three) before finalising is one way of ensuring a match. Not every coach is perfect for every leader, and vice versa!

I'd recommend to search for a mentor in your field/industry. A person who is more experienced and more accomplished then you are can make a great mentor. Corporations and associations have mentoring programs where you can apply for a mentorship slot. Mentoring is free of costs. To find a coach I would ask your collegues, friends for recommendations and search on LinkedIn. I would highly recommend to ask for a free introductory coaching session to see if the coach is a fit for you. Professional coaches also want to check you out first before working with you.

To make the most of coaching or mentoring, approach the relationship with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and grow. Be proactive in setting goals and expectations for the relationship, and communicate openly with your coach or mentor about your needs and preferences. Actively participate in coaching or mentoring sessions, ask questions, and seek feedback to maximize your learning and development. Take ownership of your growth journey and be willing to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone with the support and guidance of your coach or mentor.

Whether you choose a mentor or a coach (and yes, you can have both!), reflect on what goals you want to achieve and what challenges you are facing. How can your coach and/or mentor support and help you? Identify time in your schedule to dedicate to the relationship and commit to your development and growth.

Coaching aims on you to take action. So if you do not take any action you will not get much out of coaching. It's not about filling your head with further/new information it is about taking action steps onto unknown ground as small or as big as you need to take at a given moment. And it is about having fun with it. The more fun you have taking action the more you get out of the coaching.

In addition to the core principles outlined above, it's important to consider the role of trust, rapport, and confidentiality in coaching and mentoring relationships. Foster a trusting and supportive relationship with your coach or mentor by being transparent, respectful, and non-judgmental. Respect confidentiality agreements and boundaries established within the coaching or mentoring relationship, and prioritize the well-being and development of both parties involved. Remember that coaching and mentoring are ongoing processes of growth and learning, so embrace the journey with patience, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Please watch out to enjoy the process of coaching and mentoring. If it is not working out that way for you, look for someone else. You do not need to pay or spend time with someone who does not make you feel great about yourself.

Coaching and mentoring can help leaders become more self-aware, develop essential leadership skills, and stay accountable to their goals, ultimately empowering them to lead with confidence, authenticity, and effectiveness. Through personalized guidance, support, and feedback, leaders can navigate challenges, leverage their strengths, and continuously evolve to meet the demands of their roles with greater impact and success.