Sarit Cohen Kozokaro learned from one of her influential mentors that outstanding leaders connect with people on their teams. Her mentor called people at random to check in with them to see how they were going and what they needed and then following them up to address their concerns if she could. They appreciated her commitment to them and, as a result, were right behind her. Sarit’s mentor’s simple practice showed her the power of connecting and engaging with each person.
The same mentor challenged Sarit to step up by urging her for over a year to take on a bigger leadership role. She listened to Sarit’s objections and worked with her to deal with them. This gave Sarit first-hand experience of the value of standing for others and believing in them more than they might then believe in themselves.
Now Sarit is paying it forward. She has adopted a similar practice of face-to-face or virtual coffee conversations to get to know her team, many of whom have moved to other parts of the world with or without their families. The meetings are an opportunity for them to discuss their concerns. They appreciate her taking the time to check in with them. She is just as committed as her mentor to developing leaders around her to be as great as they can be. Sarit has noticed that a stronger sense of teamwork has developed, and the team has lifted their performance as a result of her practice. She is reaping the rewards of mentoring and building healthy relationships.
Sarit’s experience of the value of giving and receiving mentoring is well supported by research. Psychologist Lauren Bidwell, Ph.D. from SAP SuccessFactors summarised 30 years of research into mentoring showing that, done right, mentoring indeed makes a significant positive difference to mentees, their mentors and organisations.
These leadership insights from Sarit Cohen are outlined in more detail in the new book, which Dean Phelan and I co-authored – The Gentle Art of Leadership.
The perspectives we gathered from our interviews with 50+ leaders like Sarit from around the globe and the original research we drew on, form the basis of the book.
🙋♀️ When did a mentor’s genuine connection make a difference in your journey, and how did it shape you? 🙋
Best regards, Brian