Why Mentorship Is the Secret Weapon of Elite CEOs

0:10Mentoring, the secret weapon of CEOs. Welcome to Brave Bold Brilliant. What we're going to talk about today in this episode is why having a mentor is absolutely the secret weapon of elite CEOs and business leaders. now often when we are running our businesses or you're running a big organization or even a small team but under a lot of pressure what we often find is when that pressure builds as a ceo as an md as a business leader as a business owner we can often become reactive under stress making decisions based on emotion but when you get yourself a mentor that gives you focus and structure and calmness throughout what can be a very difficult time.

1:08So let's get into this. I am hugely passionate about this topic because I have always had mentors throughout my entire professional life and I've been around the block a bit. I've been in business 30 plus years and you know it's been hugely hugely helpful for me and I would say whenever I have introduced a mentor into my life it's allowed me to absolutely catapult forward and in some cases actually 10x my results so this stuff absolutely works and I've been lucky to work with some of the best mentors in the business. But also today, I'm privileged to mentor some of the biggest business leaders in the world, which is a huge privilege for me.

2:00So then, let's get into this. Now, why do you need a mentor? Well, to be perfectly honest, it can be really lonely at the top. And as I say, that pressure builds, doesn't it? Decisions need to come from you, the team's looking for you to be setting the strategy and the purpose you've got to manage all the stakeholders that you have to navigate through you've got to deliver the results right and it can be really lonely when you are in that position so having a mentor absolutely will help you not be lonely and have a great sounding board you know and as a business leader we all only know what we know you know so it's so important to learn from others and to be able to have someone by your side that is going to keep you accountable and is actually going to really help you step up into that next level that you're trying to achieve both individually as a business leader but also for your teams and the organization that you're that you're moving forward and running so it's so so important and in today's world it's even more important because if you think about it Everything is going so much faster.

3:11You know, AI is disrupting pretty much every single sector. The pressure on delivering results is higher than ever before. And customers and clients are becoming even more savvy with what they want and what they're looking for from a brand and from an organisation. So it's so much more important today than ever to actually, you know, have a mentor in your life. and you know what are you going to get what the benefits from having a mentor well it's going to give you fresh thinking you're going to learn a different approach from what you maybe have learned in the past it's going to allow you to focus on what you're trying to achieve accountability a good mentor will absolutely be there to give you you know support guidance a cuddle when you need if you're having a tough time but they are also there to make sure you are moving forward and that accountability that only comes from having a mentor and someone that's going to keep you on track and quite frankly will call out your bs if you're just kidding yourself so you know it's this really special actually combination that you're looking for from a mentor and you know provides a safe space you know we often find you know that life doesn't fit into neat little boxes you know you don't have your business here and your career here and your family there and your personal life there it often blends and actually when you work with a mentor it provides a really safe space because sometimes we find that work might overlap with our personal lives and vice versa so it can lead to some quite you know intimate conversations I would say when you have a great mentor you're basically going to learn from their mistakes you know so that you don't make those same mistakes and actually it's going to help you navigate challenges when they're coming up but also grab the opportunities and if you have a mentor that is extremely well connected then that is going to open up a whole new world of introductions and networking opportunities as well so there's so many reasons and so many benefits of having a mentor honestly it is going to absolutely transform your growth.

5:29It's going to transform your results and ultimately help you be a better leader, a better person. So what I often get asked is, well, how do you go about finding a mentor? Well, as I say, I'm going to cover that. I've got nine points really to take you through, which is going to help you find the perfect mentor for you. Now, as I say, I've always had mentors throughout my entire career and normally it's been at a time when there's been a change maybe I've had a promotion or I have been facing into maybe a new scenario so I'll give you an example when I got promoted to become the managing director of the emerging markets at 2E I was reporting into the group CEO a gentleman called Peter Long and I was really in most cases is the only woman in the boardroom.

6:23I'm going back a few years now. So thankfully, things are changing. But it was a very tough environment. And Jackie Simmons, who was our group HR director at the time, actually said to me, Jeanette, you need a mentor at this time, because it's going to really help you navigate through. And it was absolutely transformational for me. So that's one example. When we started our property business, and we knew we wanted to build a significant property business, my husband and I, we went and got educated because we knew we were going to be investing significant money. And we went with the largest property education company in the UK, Progressive Property.

7:01But not only that, we then went one step further and we decided to be mentored directly by the founders, Rob Moore and Mark Homer. Huge investment. But actually, we have, you know 10x that investment and it really helped us invest in the right way and learn everything we needed to know about property investing so those are just a couple of examples where I personally have really benefited but the most thing you need to think about as well is finding the right person right finding the right you've got to find the right person that's got the level of experience you're looking for but you've got a good fit you know can you actually feel a connection with this individual so I'm going to take you through a few points now on how you can find your perfect mentor all right so first one is you've got to identify what it is you're looking for from a mentor right and that some of that might be business related some of it might be that you're at a certain stage of life and you're thinking about the next phase for yourself So be clear around what you're looking for from a mentor.

8:13You know, the example of property that I gave you there, we were looking for someone that had deep knowledge in an industry that we did not have that direct experience ourselves. OK, so, you know, think about what you want from a mentor. Secondly, then you need to do some research. and I would suggest in the same way as you would recruit someone into a role you know do some research get a long list maybe of I don't know maybe five or six mentors that you potentially could be interested in obviously you could do your research either online or you might get some personal recommendations which is a great way actually of being introduced to people and then you've got to do your due diligence you need to check them out to go on LinkedIn do a bit of LinkedIn stalking, have a look at their websites, see what testimonials they have from clients, etc.

9:06So you've got to really do your due diligence before you have a conversation. And then from there, it's a case of meeting up, going through, could be online, you could meet in person, but you want to then get a feel for that individual mentor. So you're able to really understand their experience, the fit, the style, the way they work, etc., what their fees are, because you know if you're investing the best investment you will ever make is in yourself 100 now mentors you could be going down a formal arrangement or an informal arrangement but in the case of a formal arrangement this process is really important so you've got to meet with them and then you've got to assess the fit against your criteria and I'm a big believer in get it out of your head and down on paper because that can really help find the clarity that you're looking for and as I say you're not just looking for experience you're looking for a connection you're looking for more of a fit in terms of style and approach and is this someone that you can trust that you feel you could speak openly with that's the most most important part and as well as the actual experience that they bring and then you're going to kick off aren't you you'll have initial an initial session and in that session I would recommend that you you know you're clear on on the goals that you want to achieve out of the time you're going to work with someone and also keep an open mind because what I find when I work with people one-to-one and I've been lucky enough to work with some incredible business leaders at an executive level some amazing entrepreneurs and business founders sometimes I'm actually working with them on preparing their business for sale in the case of a corporate executive often it's around what the next kind of career move will be for them internally or externally so you know it's it's a great way to actually get super clear but that's what I do at the beginning try to understand what that person is going to get out of it but what I also find is as you go through the process things will pop up circumstances can change I mean some of the people that I have mentored I've been they've been in one organisation in a very senior role then there's been some form of restructure where they are then leaving that organisation while then work with them in the interim period of actually preparing themselves for the next big role and then right the way through to securing another job and actually onboarding so you know 40 % of the people I work with stay with me for four years plus now Now, that sounds like a very long time.

11:41And actually, a lot can happen in four years, but that's the point. You know, so we do a great job at building that roadmap together. And that's so important.

11:54So before we continue, I want to speak directly to those of you who are listening and thinking, I know I'm capable of more, but I need structure. I need some help. Because here's what I've actually learned after, gosh, more than three decades in business. You know, ambition without clarity creates frustration. And motivation without structure, it really does fade very, very fast. So that's exactly why we created Rise Academy. You know, and Rise Academy is not theory. It isn't fluffy motivation, although you will be motivated, and it certainly isn't another online course that you never finish. It's actually a fully structured growth environment for ambitious entrepreneurs, leaders and founders who absolutely are ready to do all of these things.

12:50sharpen their strategy, elevate their leadership, increase revenue with intention, and build businesses that actually support the life that they want. And inside Rise Academy, we focus on the foundations most people skip, leading yourself, leading your teams, and leading the business. It's about clarity, standards, decision making, commercial intelligence, and execution. Because scaling, it really isn't about doing more. It's actually about doing the right things and doing the things right consistently. So if you're serious about stepping up into your next level of your leadership, your business life, you know, and not just consuming content, but actually implementing it, then Rise Academy was absolutely built for you.

13:39So you can find all the details on our website, go to www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. And now, let's get back to the show.

13:52I hope that's given you an idea as to how to go about finding your perfect mentor. Trust your gut as well. Trust your gut on this, because if it feels right, most likely it will be right. And then the next question that I get asked a lot is when. When should I get a mentor? Well, everyone is different. OK, but I'm going to scope out a couple of circumstances which might be the catalyst for you getting a mentor. As I say, I love mentoring people directly. I get nothing greater satisfaction than seeing people step up. You know, I've had clients that have, you know, worked with me for three years, for four years.

14:34and actually they have 10x that investment but you know have got so many great results as you know a byproduct of working together so really important but the circumstances you might have a change in your circumstances so you might have got a promotion for example or you might have actually you know been exited from a role or from a business you know it's very very common to be facing a redundancy scenario or you might decide that you want to start a business or maybe you've just bought a new business so there's a change in your circumstances that actually means you need someone you need a mentor in your life to help you so that's one scenario the second scenario is when you feel yourself that you really want to take yourself to the next level so this is really about you know developing yourself preparing before before the opportunity comes up and this is a I'm a big believer in don't get ready be ready and this is a way for you to do that the third scenario is if you're feeling stagnant maybe you've been in a role a long time maybe you've been running your business a long time maybe your circle your network is pretty stable and you really are just feeling a little bit like You need some fresh reinvigoration into what you're doing.

15:57So if you're feeling stagnant. And then the fourth scenario is if you have a plan, a roadmap and an opportunity you want to go for and you need help actually unlocking that opportunity. All right. So let me just recap on those four. So either there's been a change in your circumstances and you need to be stepping into that new scenario. two you actually want to get ready get ready ahead of an opportunity coming up so you're you really into your personal development the third one is if you're feeling stagnant and the fourth one is if you have a plan and you have an opportunity identified but you're not sure how to get there so those are really the four scenarios which are all incredibly powerful and a mentor will help you get there.

16:51So I know I've covered a lot. It is an important topic. But listen, honestly, if you are looking to work with someone that is going to help you catapult your success, 10x your investment, take yourself to the next level, then send me a message. I only work with a limited number of people. So it's so important that we connect as soon as possible. So do that. I'm here to help. I'd love to be able to help you on your career journey, on your business journey and really helping you unlock that brilliant state that I know you're you're ready and keen to do. So make sure we connect. And of course, if you are not part of Brave Bold Brilliant community, make sure you join Brave Bold Brilliant.

17:37go onto the website www.brave-bold-brilliant.com and of course if you're listening to this on iTunes or on Spotify on the podcast make sure you hit that subscribe button and on YouTube you know we have daily content daily business content to help you so again subscribe to the channel so so important but all I would say to you is remember that having a mentor is the a secret weapon to elite business leaders. So if you want to be an elite business leader, get yourself a mentor, give us a call, and connect with Brave Bold Brilliant. And remember, it's by being brave and bold that you will unlock your brilliant.

18:24I 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.