Mentoring is an important aspect of leadership. Describe a mentor that you have or have had in the past. What style of leadership did they use? What characteristics did they display that drew you to them as a mentor? Describe the importance of an effective mentor relationship for both the leader and the mentee.
Leaders need to possess mentorship skills to enable them to offer appropriate guidance to young professionals who are just entering the job market. Working with mentors enables students to gain insights regarding their professions from leaders who possess advanced expertise within their respective specialties (Murrell et al., 2021). Therefore, it is imperative for nursing students to understand the characteristics of a good mentor and the factors that make a positive mentor-mentee relationship.
I must admit that I have benefited greatly from my mentors. I once had a mentor during my practicum. The leadership styles utilized by the mentor facilitated a positive working relationship for both of us. My mentor employed both servant and democratic leadership styles. As a servant leader, she prioritized my needs and elevated my potential, a factor that greatly boosted my morale. As a democratic leader, my mentor listened to my opinions regarding presenting concerns and incorporated them into decision-making. This made me feel empowered and valued.
My mentor displayed unique characteristics that always drew me closer to her. For instance, she scheduled regular meetings to allow us to discuss existing concerns and to offer guidance where necessary. She also communicated effectively, using both verbal and non-verbal approaches, a factor that enhanced my understanding of the issues being discussed. Caruso and Perez (2021) recognize the ability to communicate effectively and to schedule regular meetings with mentees as some of the characteristics that a mentor requires to be successful in his or her role. Ideally, an effective mentor relationship is important for both the leader and the mentee. For example, from that relationship, the mentee is able to develop the knowledge and skills required to be successful in his or her career (Caruso & Perez, 2021). The mentor benefits by identifying the areas of knowledge that he or she needs to focus on during mentorship to be able to generate the best experience for mentees.
References
Caruso, J. T., & Perez, K. (2021). Measuring outcomes of a successful mentoring dyad: A case study to optimize resources. Nursing Management, 52(7), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000754096.40272.05.
Murrell, A. J., Blake-Beard, S., & Porter, D. M., Jr (2021). The importance of peer mentoring, identity work and holding environments: a study of African American leadership development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094920