What Makes a Leader? – Mentorship

Tuesday – Mentorship  

Welcome to the second day of #AgriLeadershipWeek2024! Today, our focus shifts towards the role of mentorship in the workplace, and how it plays a vital role in developing the leader in you and those around you. Effective mentoring means creating an environment that provides both support and guidance to your mentee; providing an opportunity for both parties to develop, as the Latin proverb ‘docendo discimus’ states- ‘by teaching, we learn’.  

As an individual starting on their leadership journey, we can make no greater recommendation than for you to seek a mentor. Think back to when you were young, and the importance the mentor-mentee relationship had on you. You might not even realise the significance it had, but if you take a long think about it, it’s highly likely somebody inspired you in some shape or form. 

Not only do we learn from our mentor, but it significantly boosts the mentee’s learning journey, allowing them to be more effective in the workplace. This in turn improves their confidence. 

There is such a thing as reverse mentoring, where it’s possible to learn from people that you are leading. Life – especially business – is ever-changing, and that young new recruit might just know how to do tasks that you had never even heard of. It really hits home the fact that you are never done learning and you are never too old to learn. 

Mentorship brings a lot to the mentor, the mentee, and the wider team, and having somebody’s experience and confidence to lean on – especially when times are hard – is invaluable.  

We hold great reverence for the power of mentorship within MDS. Our People Development Team are all trained in coaching and mentoring methods to bring out the best in our Trainees. During secondments, they are also allocated a Secondment Manager whose role is to guide them through each new placement and provide constructive feedback, allowing them to fast-track their development

Reflect on what mentorship means to you and if you have a spare moment, why not reach out to somebody that previously influenced you in your career to show your appreciation? Today is that day, try it and see what it brings. 

MDS has partnered with TIAH and others to bring Agri Leadership Week to fruition.