MENTORSHIP, IS IT IMPORTANT?

What does it mean to mentor a leader?
Mentoring a leader is the art of:

• Giving her help and advice over a period of time and often teaching her how to lead.
• Guiding her to draw a mental picture of her as a leader and consistently helping her to see it grow to maturity.
• Consistently giving help to a leader to help her improve their skill of leadership and grow to greater heights.

Who is a leader
?

• She is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way to a group of people.
• She is one who guides a group of people to where they ought to be not where they want to be.

Is it important to mentor women leaders or any other leaders?

Baake Delivering her message to the leaders

According to Mc Gregory’s X theory, people need to be guided on how to do things. Following this theory, there is need for continuous guidance and help to be given to leaders especially the upcoming ones which can be done through mentoring. I therefore think that it is important for us to mentor leaders and especially when they are still young and flexible enough to learn new things. Young people are not yet too rigid with some bad cultural and religious beliefs which are social constructions. What is learnt in the cradle lasts up to the tomb. It is important to mentor women because of the following reasons;

1. To ensure continuity of leadership by women in certain positions. Some positions are occupied by women and the tradition must continue. For example some women’s organizations such as FOWODE, FEMRITE need a higher number of women leaders to carry forward their aims, objectives and legacy. There is thus need to mentor young women leaders who will carry on the work and even take the organizations to greater heights by fulfilling their future plans.
2. To equip women with leadership skills that can enable them to perform at all levels. Skills like effective communication skills, public relations. These can help women to perform excellently so that society develops the will to give women a chance to lead as they can perform to best of their expectation.

Written by Baake Specioza (Secretary General) FOWODE young leaders.