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Professional Development Articles

Is Leadership Dying in the Field?

By: Dr Christine Bender, WACUHO President-Elect

November 22, 2024

I have heard over the years a few different narratives that are concerning in a profession that thrives when those “seasoned” professionals take the “newbies” under their wings. I have either heard “I don’t need a mentor I can figure out on my own” or “I don’t have time.” Yet the counter narrative is how necessary mentorship is, so where do we find that balance. Mentorship lately has been discussed as a meaning/necessary concept but how many of us truly engage in a meaningful mentoring relationship, rather as a mentee or a mentor. Whether new professionals or seasoned professionals’ mentorship is a beneficial relationship for both parties, consider this:​

Benefits for Mentors

  • Opportunity to reflect on your own practices

  • Enhances professional and personal satisfaction

  • Develops professional relationships

  • Stay up to date on what is happening (widens understanding)

  • Increase in self-worth by sharing knowledge

  • Strengths interpersonal skills

  • Further develop one’s own leadership skills

  • Commication​

Benefits for Mentees

  • Provides impartial advice and encouragement

  • Develops a supportive relationship

  • Navigation of political acumen pitfalls

  • Improves self-confidence and self-worth

  • Offers professional development

  • Encourages reflection on practice

  • Teaches on how to take ownership over their career - advocate for oneself

  • Educate on how to receive and accept feedback critically

Mentorship almost serves like a “cheat code” to navigating the political landscape of higher education and in some cases personal development. While personal reflection, self-reflection and a growth mindset are all foundational keys to development; mentorship can shed light on the areas we don’t want to address or identify clearly while also reaffirming and validating the pieces we don’t see as strengths initially. One of the biggest realities of mentorship is in most cases a mentor is not going to fall into your lap, meaning someone is not likely to walk up to another person and randomly say “I want to mentor you.” And let’s be honest that might be a little awkward and weird and one would probably say “no thank you.”


Mentorship tends to happen in one of three ways: (1) naturally over time with no real definition of a defined mentoring relationship established. This tends to be very common and typical for a lot of us, especially early in our careers. (2) asking someone to be your mentor or offering to mentor someone through either naturally over time or through a professional experience/interaction. (3) through a mentorship program where each party is assigned to one another. What makes the last two have a leg up in a successful and intentional mentorship relationship is this typically comes with establishing expectations and what someone is hoping to gain from the dynamic.


Seeking a Mentor? The best words of advice here, find someone you admire, someone you find does their job well, find someone that inspires you and then… simply ask them if they have the capacity to mentor you. In most cases, individuals are flattered and happy to take a young professional under their wing so to say. Look for these qualities in a mentor (and mentors, in habit these qualities):

- Listens. They will maintain eye contact and give you their full attention.
- Guides. They will assist you in finding direction but never pushing you in a direction.
- Practicality. They will give insights while also provided realistic goals and priorities.
- Educates. They will educate you about life and career.
- Insightful. They will use their personal experience to you avoid mistakes and learn from good decisions.
- Accessible. They will be available as a resource and a sounding board.
- Criticizes Constructively. When necessary, they will point out areas that need improvement, always focusing on behavior and never character.
- Supportive. No matter how painful an experience, they will always encourage you to learn and improve.
- Specific. They will give specific advice on what is done well and what can be corrected.
- Cares. They will care about you professional and personal development.
- Successful. They will be successful themselves and strive to foster the same in others.
- Admirable. They will be well respected in their organization and/or community.

Yes, mentorship can be seen as time consuming but it can also be the reason we have a reignited passion, the reason we can say this is why I do what I do, the reason we don’t leave the field, or the reason we say it is totally worth the time.

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