5 Reasons The Best Leaders Are Also Great Mentors

Forbes

19 hours ago

A serious African-American businessman with glasses explaining something to his beautiful Japanese ... More coworker while they are sitting at the desk. (mentorship concept)
In studying the patterns of high-growth companies and the most effective leaders, one truth becomes undeniable: mentorship isn't just a support mechanism—it's a strategic multiplier. The most impactful leaders rarely scale alone, and they don't expect their teams to either. That's why 84% of Fortune 500 companies—and every single one of the Fortune 50—have formal mentorship programs, according to Mentor Loop.
Top-tier organizations recognize what many still overlook: mentorship isn't a 'nice-to-have'—it's a foundational element of talent development, performance optimization, and retention. In fact, the most financially successful leaders I've encountered tend to be those who deliberately cultivate the growth of others. They mentor with purpose, lead with clarity, and see wealth not just as personal gain—but as collective advancement.
Coaching Is the New Core Leadership Skill
As the demands on leaders evolve, so too must the skillsets they bring to the table. The ability to coach and mentor effectively is no longer reserved for HR or development professionals—it's a non-negotiable leadership capability. In today's environment of hybrid teams, rapid change, and mounting complexity, employees need more than direction. They need guidance, perspective, and someone invested in their long-term success.
The best leaders don't just delegate—they develop. They ask better questions. They provide frameworks for thinking, not just answers. They unlock potential by creating space for reflection, risk-taking, and recalibration. And as coaching becomes embedded in leadership cultures, the impact is felt at every level—from confidence in the C-suite to engagement on the front lines.
Mentorship as a Strategic Growth Engine
Far beyond informal advice, mentorship—when structured effectively—acts as a growth engine for both individuals and organizations. It shortens the learning curve, reduces the cost of trial and error, and fosters a culture of knowledge transfer and continuous learning. It also expands the mindset of team members from execution to ownership.
Mentorship accelerates mastery—whether in finance, operations, or leadership—and replaces short-term fixes with generational impact. The best leaders and highest achievers are life-long learners. They seek knowledge across many different spheres. 'Financial education changed my life,' shares Flora Gabrielyan, a financial entrepreneur and mentor who leads a network of more than 200 licensed agents. 'It helped me realize that when people are financially informed, they don't just survive—they build legacies.' This applies equally to our personal lives and in our professional responsibilities, especially for people leaders.
High-Performers Seek Mentors Across All Domains
Mentorship isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder. Top performers actively pursue guidance across every dimension of life: health, wealth, career, family, spiritual growth, and beyond. They understand that performance is holistic—and the mentors they seek reflect that integration. From financial literacy to mental resilience, from scaling companies to scaling fulfillment, elite professionals invest in mentorship because they understand that the right guidance is worth more than any paycheck.
Rishi Khosla, CEO and co-founder of OakNorth Bank, says in a recent article, 'If you're seeking mentorship, you should be open to guidance many different people—not just those within your industry or sphere.' I agree. I spent seven years as a member of the CEO mentoring organization Vistage, where a key principle is industry diversity—each chapter is intentionally composed of leaders from different sectors to foster fresh perspectives, challenge assumptions, and accelerate growth through cross-industry insight.
World-Class Companies Design Mentorship Into Their DNA
Forward-thinking organizations don't leave mentorship to chance. They architect it into their operating systems—with structured programs, cohort-based development, and ongoing coaching embedded into team rhythms. They equip managers to become internal coaches, and they scale culture by developing leaders who lead others.
That shift—from performer to multiplier—is at the heart of mentorship's power. It's not about creating dependence. It's about developing capability and confidence that cascades through entire organizations.
Mentorship Isn't Altruism—It's Smart Strategy
Helping others grow isn't just the right thing to do—it's the profitable thing to do. Organizations that embed mentorship see higher engagement, better retention, and stronger succession pipelines. Individuals who mentor others deepen their own expertise and expand their influence. And mentees become ambassadors for the culture and future of the company.
'One of the biggest benefits of having a mentor,' says Moe Nawaz, author and advisor to Fortune 100 leaders, 'is gaining access to insight forged through experience. Mentors help you avoid unnecessary missteps, identify unseen opportunities, and act with greater precision and confidence.'
The future belongs to leaders who don't just manage performance—but elevate potential. To coach, mentor, and multiply talent is to future-proof your business and your legacy.
So ask yourself: Are you mentoring someone who could one day replace you?
If the answer is yes, then you're not just leading—you're building a legacy. One capable, confident, purpose-driven team member at a time.