The CEO’s Hidden Advantage - Why Mentorship Beats Experience Alone

0:01It could be a longer relationship, it could be a shorter relationship, whatever is right for you. You are uniquely you.

0:11Well, hello, brave, bold, brilliant family. It's Jeannette Linfoot here and I'm absolutely delighted that you are joining me today. Now, let me start with a truth that might shake you a little. Hard work and experience are not enough to guarantee success. Now, yes, they absolutely matter. Yes, they shape us. But if experience alone was your golden ticket, every hard work and entrepreneur and business leader would be sitting at the top of the industry. And we know that's simply not the case. So what's the difference? What separates those who rise quickly, build empires and leave lasting legacies from those who stay stuck in the grind?

0:59And it really is about mentorship. Honestly, mentorship is the CEO's hidden advantage. It's the unfair edge that accelerates, grows, sharpens vision and shortens the distance between where you are and where you want to be.

1:16Jeannette:so here's the big idea that we're going to unpack today mentorship beats experience alone and we'll explore why relying on your own lessons actually slows you down we'll also uncover how mentorship acts as a growth multiplier and i'm going to give you practical steps on how to find leverage and really give back through mentorship as well so we're going to cover a lot so get ready But before we dive in, I would love to hear from you. Who has been your most influential mentor in your life so far? And what's the single biggest lesson that they taught you? Put a comment in the social media if you're listening to this or watching it on social media.

2:04Send us an email. And of course, if you are not connected with us, make sure we get connected. You'll find me, Jeanette Linfoot, on all of the main platforms across social media. Make sure you sign up to our Brave Bold Brilliant community as well. Just head to www.brave-bold-brilliant.com and you're going to find loads of resources there. And, you know, now is your time. So grab a pen and paper. We're going to jump into this. We're going to cover five different sections.

2:33Jeannette:So the first one we're going to talk about is section one, the limits of experience. Now, experience is powerful, but it's slow. You know, just think about every mistake, every wrong hire, every failed pitch, every product that flops. You know, they all teach you something. But those lessons take months, years, sometimes decades to actually accumulate, don't they? You know, and I certainly remember early in my own corporate career, you know, I thought I had to learn everything the hard way. Long hours, endless travel, saying yes to every opportunity, pushing through burnout, you know. And yes, it built my resilience 100%.

3:14But if I'd had stronger mentorship earlier, I could have avoided a lot of wasted time and painful missteps.

3:22Jeannette:So experience teaches us after you've paid the price. But mentorship lets you learn before you make the mistake so that you don't make so many mistakes. And that is the difference. And here's the simple metaphor. You know, imagine you're climbing Mount Everest. You could try to figure it out on your own, relying only on your experience, but you're probably going to waste energy. You're going to take lots of wrong turns and risk serious setbacks. Or you could climb with a Sherpa, someone who's already reached a summit many times. And that's what mentorship is about. So let's get into part two, the hidden advantage of mentorship.

4:09Jeannette:So why is mentorship such a game changer? Well, it's because it compresses decades into days. and think about leaders like Oprah Winfrey you know she credits Maya Angelou as a guiding light or maybe Richard Branson who has spoken openly about mentor shaping virgins culture even Elon Musk often painted as a lone genius leaned heavily on mentors in engineering business and invested in his early years so mentorship it really does give you three advantages you simply cannot get from experience alone. So the first one, it gives you perspective. Mentors see around corners that you don't even know exist.

4:54Jeannette:They help you anticipate, not just react. Accountability. A great mentor doesn't just cheer you on. They challenge you. They push you and they hold you to your highest potential. And access. And this is a big one. Mentors open doors to networks, funding, partnerships and opportunities you could never find alone and certainly I have always had mentors and coaches throughout my entire professional life and career at different stages which has always helped me catapult forward not just by one step but by two, three, four, sometimes even five steps further forward and of course I mentor people today one-to-one you know Often I work with corporate CEOs that are in the boardroom running huge organisations, but I also work with entrepreneurs who are looking to scale up, maybe exit their business.

5:49Jeannette:So, you know, if you're looking for a mentor, choose wisely. Choose someone that has actually trodden the path before you and is able to give you everything that you need to really step up. I know one of my own mentors you know one said to me Jeanette you can either learn slowly through your own mistakes or you can learn faster through mine which one do you choose you know and that one line it changed how I approach leadership forever really and of course today it means that I'm also able to help other people through mentoring them myself in a business context So let's get into part number three.

6:31Jeannette:Why do CEOs and business leaders need mentorship most? Well, here's something that most people don't realise. The higher you climb, the lonelier it gets. Have you ever felt like that, that you're on your own with your career progression or you're on your own with running and scaling your business? It is really lonely. And of course, all eyes are on you as the leader, aren't they? All eyes are on you in terms of making decisions or providing guidance, inspiration, making sure the numbers come in. It's a lot of pressure. So if you're feeling lonely, reach out. Don't be on your own. You know, as a CEO or business owner, you know, your team often tells you what they think you want to hear as well.

7:19Jeannette:right? You know, very few people challenge your blind spots, you know, and that's what I do when I work with people one-to-one. I challenge their blind spots, you know, and very few people will say to you, hang on, have you thought about it this way? You know, and that's dangerous, isn't it? Because blind spots are what actually sink businesses. It also means that as a leader, we might not be aware of our style and how we approach things, but mentors help you cut through the noise you know they're not impressed by your title or intimidated by your success you know they hold a mirror up to your face and allow you to confront the truths that you might otherwise ignore that's the power of a good mentor and some of the most successful CEOs that I've worked with have had multiple mentors one for strategy one for leadership presence one for personal well-being because no single person necessarily has all the answers at exactly the same point of time.

8:19So that right mix of mentors, it gives you a 360 advantage. You know, most recently, I was mentored by Rob Moore. So Chris, my husband and I were mentored by Rob Moore, who was massive in terms of social media, personal brand. And then his business partner, who we were also mentored by, Mark Homer, is a genius when it comes to property investing.

8:41Jeannette:So as we've built and scaled our property business, we have leaned into having two very different mentors. You know, at other times of my career, I've, you know, I've actually worked with a mentor who was an expert in financial services because it was about really stepping up in terms of my financial acumen, you know, as I became responsible for a full P &L for the first time. So you need different things at different times and different people. But let's get into part four. And that is the multiplier effect of mentorship, you know, compounding, because the beauty of mentorship is it multiplies everything.

9:21Jeannette:You know, your learning curve shortens. What might take you 10 years, you can learn in maybe two years, even one year, maybe even six months. your network expands suddenly you're in rooms that you never imagined being in with people that you had no sense that you would ever be able to be engaging with and there you are you know your confidence grows as well because you know you've got someone wise in your corner it makes a huge huge difference you know and here's something powerful mentorship it isn't always formal it can come through books podcasts or even observing someone you admire you know the key is being open coachable and willing to apply what you learn you know and i often say that information is everywhere but wisdom is scarce and mentorship is the fastest way to turn information into wisdom 100 so let's you know let's just lean into this but how to find and leverage a mentor that's the fifth thing i wanted to talk you through how do you actually find the right person so here's a few practical steps you might want to write these down actually but first point is clarity first you need to know what you need you know is it that you're scaling up is it that you're fundraising?

10:46Jeannette:Is it that you need to spend time on your team culture? Be specific about what you actually need. The next point, you actually look for alignment, not perfection. You know, don't chase the most famous name. Find someone who's walked a path similar to yours, but they're ahead of you by quite a few steps. Third point, bring value back. Now, the best mentorships are two-way. Share your own perspectives, energy and even introduce your mentor to opportunities. The law of reciprocity works really well when you're in a mentoring relationship with someone. And don't forget, mentorship, it doesn't have to be forever.

11:30Jeannette:Sometimes a mentor is right for a season and then you move on and that's OK. You know, the key is to keep evolving and keep seeking fresh perspectives. In other cases, it might be that you work with someone for a long period of time. I've had, you know, mentors of mine, in fact, 75 % of the people that I work with, they come back to me and have been working with me for in excess of two years, sometimes as long as five years. And that's because we're on a journey together. That's because they see the results. You know, they more than 10x their investment, honestly. So it could be a longer relationship.

12:09It could be a shorter relationship. Whatever is right for you. you are uniquely you so i hope that has given you a bit of a perspective but let's you know let's just really hear and understand from your point of view let me know what you need you know do you currently have a mentor and if yes what's the biggest lesson that they've taught you let's help and share our ideas here on brave bob brilliant we are a community if the answer that is that you don't have a mentor maybe you've never had a mentor what's such is stopping you you know is it fear of asking is it not knowing where to start and what is it you know and you know if you could actually be mentored by anyone in the world living or dead who would you choose and why you know as

12:55Jeannette:i say don't necessarily get seduced by the big names often the wisdom is in a field which is more niche and i guarantee you that if you ask yourself these questions it's going to spark some powerful conversations and that's going to be really amazing so you know let's just think about giving back as well let's not forget that mentorship it isn't just about receiving it's also about giving and that's a great thing to do and you can pass on your learning to your team you give back through that so as you grow you have a responsibility to lift others and here's the truth you know you might be someone sherpa right now and not even know it so mentorship it creates this amazing ripple effect you know think of it as a pebble going in a pond you start down a mentorship journey with someone that's helping you and that spreads out just like when you drop a pebble in a pond it really spreads out across the whole pond and that is the joy and that is the power of leverage and the power of mentorship so that person then mentors someone else and before you know it you've created this legacy that's far bigger than just you and that's the real hidden advantage not just growth for you but the impact that you have on all of those around your future generations so we've covered a lot let's bring it all together experience is valuable but it has limits and it's mentorship that turns experience into acceleration.

14:29Jeannette:It's mentorship that helps you see further, act faster and lead better and it's mentorship that transforms success from a solo pursuit into a shared journey. So remember this, the best leaders and entrepreneurs aren't the ones who know it all, they're the ones humble enough to keep learning through others and bold enough to pass that wisdom on so if you've listened to this today and it has resonated with you please hit that subscribe button so that more people can discover this conversation and you get notified then every time we go live with a new podcast episode and it really helps us grow those insights as a leader and with your teams and of course share this episode with someone else who you feel might need a mentor or who could become a mentor themselves.

15:24So let's get connected. Remember, follow me on social media, Jeanette Lin for two N's and two T's in Jeanette. You'll find our Brave Bold Brilliant pages on social media as well. So please connect there because that's where you're going to find a load of free resources. And most importantly, hit subscribe to the podcast, hit subscribe to our YouTube channel, Brave Bold Brilliant, and check out the website,

15:46Jeannette:www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. for all those free resources that are going to be there to share with you on your journey. So until next time, be brave, be bold, and as always, just keep being brilliant. I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant. Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow. So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliance.