Mentorship is a better way to learn, grow in business

This article originnally appeared in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “Wright on Center” column on June 14, 2019.

“Revel in your ignorance” is one of Reid Hoffman’s Rules to Live By (and Break) for “infinite learners.” A successful entrepreneur and co-founder of LinkedIn, he describes infinite learners as those who not only enjoy learning but, for their own satisfaction, constantly need to learn on the job.

These traits of curiosity, mixed with vulnerability, are something he’s identified in many successful entrepreneurs.

In business, we’re exposed to many forms of professional development. Courses, advanced degrees, certifications and conferences all add to our growth. While each of these contributes to our development, the most impactful and lasting growth comes directly from other people — not classrooms or books.

Studies show (to no surprise) that mentorship leads to better career outcomes for the mentored than for those unmentored. Learning from people is so important that 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have created mentorship programs for their employees.

In business, a mentor can be the difference between a successful business decision and a missed opportunity. Mentorship isn’t just for the early days of our careers, it is something we should continue to seek out, even when family, work and life make it difficult.

Over time, I’ve changed my own approach to mentorship to be more thoughtful and more intentional. To illustrate my current (and evolving) approach, I connected with two of my own mentors, Jeff Pinneo and Tod Leiweke.

For those looking for a mentor, finding the right candidate is not the first step. In fact, most of the work of finding a mentor should be done well before.

Pinneo’s advice is to “begin at the end and work back.” In other words, figure out where you want to be at the end of your life — or at some milestone along the way — in order to know what you need to do today. Next, go through an exercise with yourself to map your strengths and weaknesses with your goals in mind. What skills do you have, where can you improve, and what are your blind spots?

Knowing this will help you thoughtfully approach mentorship and identify individuals who can provide those learning opportunities.

When thinking of mentorship, it’s central to understand that it comes in many shapes and sizes. Most commonly, we think of mentorship as a structured relationship between mentor and mentee.

In reality, it extends beyond that. Just by listening and observing, it’s incredible what you learn.

As leaders, some of the best insight and learning comes from doing just that. It’s not just learning from your colleagues. It comes from all levels of an organization — including those on the front lines. To that end, mentorship is really all around us, every day. There’s a marked difference in people who stop seeking new knowledge. As Tod Leiweke says, “The day you stop being curious is the day you stop learning.”

In his podcast “Masters of Scale,” Reid and his colleagues define 20 rules to “inspire, provoke, and keep us going on our quest to become infinite learners.” It’s a reminder that we must remain curious and vulnerable to go on this journey.

After all, it can only increase our likelihood of success in business and in life.