How do you juggle mentoring and leadership?

1 Define your mentoring role

Before you start mentoring anyone, you need to clarify your role and expectations as a mentor. What are your objectives and outcomes for the mentoring relationship? How will you measure and evaluate your mentee's progress and performance? How often and how long will you meet with your mentee? How will you communicate and provide feedback? How will you handle any challenges or conflicts that may arise? By defining your mentoring role, you can establish a clear and mutual understanding with your mentee and avoid any confusion or misalignment.

2 Choose your mentees wisely

You can't mentor everyone on your team, nor should you. You need to select your mentees based on their needs, goals, potential, and readiness for mentoring. You also need to consider your own capacity, availability, and expertise. You want to mentor people who are willing to learn, grow, and take action, not those who are resistant, complacent, or dependent. You also want to mentor people who can benefit from your specific knowledge, skills, and experience, not those who need a different type of support or guidance.

3 Delegate and empower

One of the key skills of a leader is delegation. You need to delegate tasks and responsibilities to your team members according to their strengths, interests, and development areas. This will free up your time and energy for mentoring and other leadership activities, as well as help your team members learn, improve, and take ownership of their work. Delegation also involves empowering your team members to make decisions, solve problems, and innovate within their scope of authority. This will foster a sense of autonomy, trust, and confidence among your team members, as well as reduce your need to micromanage or intervene.

4 Set boundaries and priorities

Another essential skill of a leader is setting boundaries and priorities. You need to set boundaries for yourself and your mentees in terms of time, resources, and expectations. You need to respect your own and your mentee's work-life balance, personal space, and professional development. You also need to prioritize your tasks and activities according to their urgency, importance, and impact. You need to focus on the most critical and strategic aspects of your role as a leader and a mentor, and delegate or eliminate the rest. You also need to help your mentees prioritize their own work and learning goals, and support them in achieving them.

5 Seek feedback and support

As a leader and a mentor, you also need to seek feedback and support from others. You need to ask for feedback from your mentees, peers, managers, and other stakeholders on your performance and effectiveness as a leader and a mentor. You need to be open to constructive criticism, praise, and suggestions for improvement. You also need to seek support from other mentors, coaches, or experts who can help you enhance your own skills and knowledge as a leader and a mentor. You also need to support your mentees in seeking feedback and support from other sources, such as their colleagues, customers, or mentors.