What I wish I knew earlier about mentorship and growth
I joined a mentoring conference this week. It wasn’t about career ladders or promotion. It was about reflection. About taking what you’ve learned and helping others while staying open to learning more yourself.
It made me think about the people who have shaped my career - mentors, colleagues, even those I only worked with briefly. Each one left a mark. Some taught me how to lead. Others showed me how to slow down and think differently. A few helped me trust my instincts when I doubted them.
But the biggest surprise has been where the learning really came from.
Learning goes both ways
Not all my mentors were senior leaders. Some were peers or people earlier in their careers. They asked better questions. They challenged how I thought. They offered perspectives I hadn’t seen yet.
Sheryl Sandberg once said, “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, and make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded.” That idea extends beyond gender. It’s about listening across levels, and valuing insight wherever it appears.
Mentorship isn’t hierarchy. It’s curiosity. It’s learning to see through someone else’s lens and letting that shape how you grow.
For an interesting perspective on this, Harvard Business Review’s piece on “Why reverse mentoring works” explores how openness to learn from younger colleagues creates stronger leaders.
Sheryl Sandberg once said, “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, and make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded.”
Sheryl Sandberg once said, “We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, and make sure women’s voices are heard and heeded.”
The value of sharing what you know
Michelle Obama once said, “Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” Mentorship captures that.
We grow faster when we share what we’ve learned. It doesn’t need to be formal. Sometimes it’s a short conversation, a note of encouragement, or simply taking the time to listen.
In our work with teams, we often see that growth accelerates when people support each other’s development. Knowledge multiplies when it’s shared. Culture deepens when people feel seen.
For those leading teams, McKinsey’s “The power of inclusive leadership” is a valuable read on how empathy and learning from others strengthen performance.
What I wish I’d known earlier
If I could go back and tell my younger self anything, it would be this: Growth is not about proving you know enough. It’s about staying open to what you don’t.
Every career stage offers both teachers and students. Sometimes you are one. Sometimes you are both.
“Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.”
The best way to earn that kind of trust is to remain teachable. If you’ve had someone who changed how you think or work, tell them. Gratitude builds connection. And if you’re early in your career and wondering if you’re senior enough to teach anyone anything, you already are.
Change is constant
Collaboration and learning are at the heart of progress. Every mentor, peer, and partner adds something to how we grow.
Change is constant, but so is the chance to learn from each other. That’s what makes work meaningful.