This episode of Connected Leadership Bytes, originally featured as a guest interview on the Kwame Christian podcast “Negotiate Anything,” features Andy Lopata, professional relationship strategist, author of “The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring,” and host of the Connected Leadership” podcast. Andy shares his insights on the importance of building and leveraging professional Relationships, and particularly the role of mentoring.

Andy argues that building a strong network of mentors is essential for career Growth, citing research that shows performance accounts for only 10% of promotion decisions, while image and exposure account for 30% and 60% respectively. He defines mentoring as a relationship where someone with experience and expertise in a particular area helps guide another individual towards their goals.

He explores the different types of mentoring relationships, including formal and informal, traditional, reverse, and peer-to-peer. Andy emphasises the importance of both formal and informal mentoring relationships, advocating for creating a diverse “mentoring team” for optimal support.

Andy also discusses the differences between mentoring, Coaching, and sponsoring, highlighting the key distinction: mentors know, while coaches explore. He stresses the importance of using coaching techniques to help mentees develop independent solutions, rather than simply offering advice.

The episode concludes with Andy sharing valuable insights on the skills needed for effective mentoring, highlighting the importance of humility, commitment, and independent thought for both mentors and mentees.

Key Takeaways:

• Mentoring is essential for career advancement, influencing image and exposure more than performance.
• Mentoring can take many forms, including formal, informal, traditional, reverse, and peer-to-peer.
• Good mentors use coaching techniques to help mentees develop independent solutions.
• Humility and mutual respect are vital for both mentors and mentees.
• Vulnerability builds trust and encourages open communication in the mentoring relationship.
• Mentees should be prepared to contribute actively, set goals, and make independent decisions.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

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

Connect with Kwame Christian: Website |LinkedIn |Instagram | YouTube

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.