This episode of Connected Leadership Bytes examines the concept of lateral mentoring, a powerful yet often overlooked form of support. Deborah Heiser, PhD, founder of The Mentor Project, introduces the idea that mentoring doesn’t always have to be hierarchical. It can be a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience between peers, even those in different departments or industries.

Deborah emphasises the importance of embracing vulnerability and asking for help, even from unexpected sources. She shares real-life examples of how individuals have leveraged lateral mentoring to achieve breakthroughs and launch their careers.

Andy and Deborah highlight the benefits of both formal and informal mentoring Relationships and how they can complement each other. She also sheds light on the critical role of reverse mentoring, where younger generations mentor older individuals on emerging trends and technologies. Deborah underscores the need for organisations to embrace cross-company and cross-sector mentoring, fostering collaboration and knowledge.

The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to actively seek out mentoring opportunities and recognise that everyone, regardless of their position, can benefit from both giving and receiving mentorship.

Key takeaways from the episode:

·       Lateral mentoring is a powerful form of support that can come from peers, even those in different departments or industries.

·       Embrace vulnerability and ask for help from unexpected sources. Every connection is useful.

·       Formalise lateral mentoring relationships to make them more effective and focused.

·       Don’t underestimate the value of reverse mentoring, where younger generations mentor older individuals on emerging trends.

·       Embrace cross-company and cross-sector mentoring to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

·       Recognise theimportance of both giving and receiving mentorship.

Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube

Connect with Deborah Heiser: Website |LinkedIn |X/Twitter

Listen to the full episode of this podcast

The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring

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Andy Lopata Author, Podcast Host and Speaker on Professional Relationships Strategy

Andy Lopata is a specialist speaker on professional relationships, mentoring, networking, and social media strategy. He is a firm believer that professional relationships underpin our success in business, our roles, and our careers. The right relationships with the right people can lead to new business opportunities, investment, collaborative working, innovation, and career progress. We just need to be comfortable approaching those relationships strategically, without making people feel ‘networked’ by us.

Andy has worked in the field of networking and professional relationships for 25 years, working with global giants such as Paypal, GSK, AstraZeneca, Wella, HSBC, Wembley Stadium, the BBC, and the Prime Minister’s Office of the UAE, among many others during that time. He has also worked with leading universities including NYU, Duke University, and Oxford University’s Said Business School.

A regular blogger for Psychology Today, Andy has been quoted in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well as many other national and regional newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written or co-authored six books on networking and professional relationships, with his sixth book, "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," being published in Spring 2024. He is also the host of The Connected Leadership Podcast and has interviewed globally recognized names in business, academia, sports, and entertainment for the show.

Andy has been inducted into the PSAE Hall of Fame – the Professional Speaking Association Award of Excellence, which was held by only 21 other speakers at the time it was presented. He is a Fellow and a former President of the Fellows’ Community of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA), a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), and a Member of the Association of Business Mentors and the Meetings Industry Association.