5 Benefits of Having a CEO Mentor
Think about one of your personal heroes. They might be a titan of industry, a professional athlete, or even a fictional character. Now consider how they reached that level of success not only in their personal lives but in the minds of those who look up to them. They didn’t do it alone.
Every great leader has a coach or mentor. They have someone who pushes them to think one step ahead or train a little bit harder than their competition. Because even when you think you’ve reached your full potential, there’s always a little further you can go.
For CEOs, this person is your mentor. They exist to help you grow, both personally and professionally, and to act as your guide through difficult decisions. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why every CEO needs a mentor, what benefits you can gain from their guidance, and how the relationship can fit into your busy schedule.
Why You Need a Mentor
At Building Champions, we know it can be lonely at the top. You have stakeholders, board members, and team members all looking to you for answers day in and day out. It might feel like the whole organization rests on your shoulders.
Your job is hard work that relies on expert problem solving and decision making skills, but there’s few personal and professional development programs for high-level business executives. This is the gap a CEO mentor can fill. They are your sounding board and your advisor as they help you work through complex problems and lend advice from their personal experience.
Mentorship helps you feel more confident in your decisions and gives you an opportunity to work through multiple ideas to find the best solution. All of our mentors are former Presidents or CEOs and know the pressure you're facing. When you learn to lean on them for support, you can start to reap the many rewards of a mentoring relationship.
Benefits of Having a Mentor
As an executive, you know the value of continually practicing leadership skills and maintaining professional networks. The former gives you the competencies you need for career development and latter provides you with role models who will keep you motivated and inspired. The mentoring process works similarly, but with more concrete and measurable benefits.
1.) Improved Performance
All eyes are on you in the C-suite, which means you might consistently feel pressure to perform well. When you have a mentor who can guide your thought process and help you work through complex problems, you’re more likely to make the right decision the first time. This means positive results for your company and improved performance metrics for your personal resume.
2.) Continued Personal Development
Once you make it to the top of an organization, people assume you’ve got it all figured out. In reality, there’s never an end to personal development. Leadership is a journey, and as the mentee, you can explore your path without worrying about how it will affect your team. You have the freedom to pursue interests and ideas that make you feel empowered and motivated.
3.) A Space to Brainstorm
Being an executive leader isn’t just about making the tough decisions, it’s also about thinking through your options. The best way to brainstorm is to include people who can offer different perspectives, which is what your CEO mentor is for. They’ve sat in your seat before and understand how far-reaching the effects of a single decision can be. Use your mentor as a sounding board so you can think through multiple options before making a decision for your organization.
4.) Employee Retention
Your employees indirectly benefit from your mentor. When you have someone to challenge you to lead yourself first and make choices based on your values and vision, you become a more consistent leader. Employees trust and are loyal to consistency. It encourages them to stay with your company because they know you have their best interests at heart.
5.) Job Satisfaction
Perhaps the most fulfilling benefit of mentoring is finding joy in your job. Being an executive is stressful, and it’s easy to bury yourself in work and forget to enjoy your role. A mentor will help you focus on the bigger picture, believe in yourself, and take time to do what makes you happy. This brings a confidence boost that reminds you why you love what you do and might even make going to work the best part of your day.
CEO Mentoring and Roundtables
Be the leader your organization needs. Work with one of our CEO Mentors to help you grow as a leader, navigate seasons of uncertainty and change, and achieve your personal and organizational goals.
How It Works
What makes a CEO mentorship program so effective is that you have someone dedicated to helping you as an individual. They don’t see just a CEO, they see a person striving to improve their leadership skills for the benefit of those who rely on them. They are an unbiased third party who can help you view your organization and business strategy in a new light, which fosters creative innovation.
Your mentor also helps with the human side of your role. They can advise you on how to develop and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, such as the board of directors or major shareholders. This allows you to strategically position yourself for success by creating trust and accountability with the people who appointed you to run the organization.
We understand that being a CEO means having a full schedule, which is why you’re in charge of when and how often you meet with your mentor. You can utilize in-person meetings to take a deep dive into complex issues or discuss strategic initiatives. You might even opt to bring in your senior leadership team to share their ideas and get feedback.
Overall, your mentor is there for you. They understand that leadership development is an ongoing process, no matter what level you’re on. They foster a sense of confidence, creativity, and fulfillment that will bring you to new heights in your career.
Building Champions Can Help
At Building Champions, we know that successful mentorship requires personal knowledge of someone’s situation. That’s why all of our CEO mentors are former Presidents or CEOs themselves. They’ve navigated firsthand the challenges of running a company and are now dedicated to helping others succeed in that role.
To learn more about our CEO Mentoring program, reach out to us. We’d love to pair you with a mentor who fits your needs and will help you succeed.
