By Phryne Williams
There’s a widely held assumption that mentorship is about career advice – helping someone get promoted, mapping out a five-year plan, or sharpening their CV. And yes, sometimes it is. But from what I’ve seen over the years, the most powerful mentorship moments aren’t packaged that way. They come in the form of presence, perspective, and honest conversations at the right time. And for those stepping into leadership, especially women and first-time leaders, mentorship can be the nudge that turns hesitation into action.
In my experience, leaders don’t get to where they are without help. Behind many confident, high-impact professionals is someone who offered honest guidance, a fresh perspective, or simply believed in them before they fully believed in themselves. That’s mentorship. Most leaders have had someone who saw something in them early on, or helped during a difficult time, to just figure things out. Sometimes it was a formal mentor. Often it wasn’t. It might have been a colleague, a previous manager, a peer, or even someone just one step ahead.
Mentorship creates a bridge between experience and ambition — a relationship that encourages reflection, builds confidence, and sharpens judgement. At its heart, mentorship is simply two people figuring things out together – one with a bit more perspective and a willingness to listen and share their experiences. The other with a bunch of questions and curiosity. It’s where you can ask the real questions, talk things through without pressure, and feel okay not having everything figured out. The best mentors don’t give you a formula. Instead they ask thoughtful questions, challenge your thinking, and try to help you see things more clearly. They don’t try to be impressive. A good mentor just shows up, listens properly, and reminds you what you’ve got in you.
This doesn’t mean mentors need to be senior. In fact, some of the best mentorships I’ve seen have come from peers. Peer mentors are usually walking a similar road, which is why those relationships can be so helpful. There’s a bit of give and take. Someone who gets how pressurised things are and understands the hectic pace, and the second-guessing that comes with leadership.
Where can you find the right mentor:
- Inside your organisation: Someone who understands the internal landscape and can help you navigate the unwritten rules. This mentor can bring a lot to the table. They can offer insights into the organisation, guide you based on their deep experience, and accelerate your learning and career growth
- Outside your organisation: Sometimes the best guidance comes from someone you’ve worked with in the past – a previous manager who believed in you, someone you studied with who’s gone on to do interesting things, or even a colleague from another team that you admired. It is really about finding someone you respect, that can offer an alternative perspective and lend an ear
Mentorship can take many forms. Some companies run structured programmes, and when done well, these can be powerful. Some of the best mentoring doesn’t happen in scheduled sessions, it can be a quick chat after a tough day, a coffee, or a quiet nudge of encouragement to say:“You don’t need to wait to be noticed — you’re ready for that promotion. Ask for it.”
Research from Harvard, McKinsey and Forbes continues to show that people with mentors are more likely to be promoted, to stay with their organisations, and to report stronger feelings of inclusion and engagement. Mentorship isn’t just a feel-good initiative. It supports retention, leadership development, and culture.
When it works, mentorship offers:
- A sounding board for challenges
- Unfiltered insight into company culture and politics
- Encouragement to stretch, reflect, and grow
- A sense of safety when navigating tough moments
And it goes both ways. Mentors often walk away with new energy, clarity on their own leadership style, and a reminder of what they’ve learnt along the way. When done well, mentorship benefits both people in the relationship.
So if you’ve had someone who helped you feel more grounded, more capable, or more seen, this might be the moment to offer that same support to someone else.
And for those longing for that kind of support? Have the courage to ask for a coffee, to seek out guidance, and to suggest meeting regularly with the intention of learning.
Mentorship doesn’t always land in your lap — most times, in my experience, you have to initiate it.
Phryne Williams is Founder and Director at Capital Assignments
