Your Two-Step Mentor

Your Two-Step Mentor

If you're an HR or Talent leader reading this, I'm about to tell you something you already know:

Mentors matter.

You've probably encouraged employees to find one. You may have helped launch mentoring programs. You might even be mentoring someone right now.

And yet...

Like the old saying about the cobbler's children having no shoes (I quote that a lot), I've noticed that Talent leaders are often exceptionally good at investing in everyone else's development while quietly neglecting their own.

Or we reach a point in our careers where we're the person being asked to mentor others and start assuming we've somehow "graduated" from needing mentors ourselves.

Spoiler alert: You (we) haven't.

In fact, if you're aspiring to a future Chief People Officer, Chief Talent Officer, or Chief Learning Officer role, I'd argue you need mentors now more than ever.

The Myth of Finding "The Ultimate Mentor"

One of the biggest misconceptions about mentoring is that your mentor needs to be the smartest, savviest, and most experienced person in the room, the most accomplished executive in your network, or someone with decades more experience than you.

That sounds impressive, but it also sounds unnecessarily limiting.

Recently, I've been intrigued by the concept of the "10% Edge," popularized by creators and entrepreneurs like Amy Porterfield.

The idea is simple:

You don't need to be miles ahead of someone to help them. Sometimes you only need to be slightly ahead. Even just a 10% edge over the other person... that's all.

So, the mentor who creates the greatest impact isn't always the person decades ahead of you.

Often, it's the person who is just two steps ahead.

Why a "Two-Step Mentor" Is So Valuable

Think about someone who recently became a VP while you're a Director.

Or someone who landed their first Chief People Officer role in the last few years.

Or someone who successfully navigated a challenge you're facing right now.

Those people still remember:

• What the transition felt like
• What surprised them
• What mistakes they made
• What they wish they'd known sooner

That's powerful, especially when their experiences aren't so far in the rear-view mirror that memories have become fuzzy and technology or circumstances are vastly different.

Research consistently shows that mentoring contributes to career advancement, skill development, engagement, and career satisfaction. We know this.

But perhaps the true value isn't necessarily finding the most accomplished mentor, but finding the most relevant one.

Three Ways to Find a Mentor Without Waiting for Permission

1. Look for Someone Who Recently Solved the Problem You're Trying to Solve

Instead of looking for a mentor with a perfectly curated resume, ask, "Who has already navigated the next challenge I'm facing?"

The best mentor for a Director aspiring to a VP role is often a VP. The best mentor for someone with their sights on the C-suite is often someone who has recently made that leap.

Seek quality of experience over quantity of years.

2. Look Beyond Your Company

Some of the best mentors you'll ever have don't work for your organization. In fact, there are some potential mentors you may never or rarely meet in person! Last year, I had the pleasure of connecting with Dr. Beverly Kaye, a pioneering Talent Development expert whose work has had a tremendous influence on my career growth. I described her as someone who had been mentoring me without even realizing it. I realize that in most cases, you'll want a mentor you actually communicate with, but the point is... don't limit yourself to people in your company or community.

Look around:

• professional associations like ATD or SHRM - locally and nationally
• conferences
• LinkedIn
• alumni networks
• industry groups

Many mentoring relationships start as simple professional conversations. You don't need a formal program to build a meaningful connection.

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3. Focus on Building a Mentor Bench, Not Just a Mentor

Executive growth is rarely supported by a single person.

It's not a novel idea, but I've always been fascinated by the idea of curating a personal board of advisors:

• one mentor for leadership
• one for business acumen
• one for HR/Talent expertise
• one who challenges your thinking

Different mentors bring distinct strengths, and research increasingly supports the value of mentoring networks over a single relationship.

Here's the thing...

Executive careers aren't built through capability alone.

They're built through relationships, feedback, perspective, and opportunity.

Mentors accelerate all four.

So if you're waiting for someone else to start a mentor program or offer to mentor you, stop waiting.

If you're busy mentoring everyone else, don't forget your own development.

And if you're looking for the *perfect* mentor, maybe adjust your expectations.😉

Because you don't need the world's leading expert.

You just need someone with that 10% edge... someone who is a couple of steps ahead, remembers what it felt like to stand where you're standing now, and is willing to help you take the next step. They're close enough to reach back and offer their hand.

People like that are a lot easier to find than you might realize.

And they might be the very ones who change your career.