At some point in every career, a quiet assumption can creep in. Once you’ve reached a certain level of seniority, you’re expected to have the answers.
You become the person others turn to for guidance. The mentor in the room. The experienced voice at the table.
But the most effective leaders tend to hold a very different belief. They never stop being mentees.
In a recent episode of the Mentoring Unlocked podcast, non-executive board director and technology leader Jo Mikleus shared a perspective that challenges the traditional idea of mentoring: the best mentors are often still learning themselves.
Not because they lack experience, but because leadership environments are constantly evolving. New industries, technologies, and governance challenges emerge all the time. Remaining curious is what allows leaders to keep growing.
And when mentors continue learning, the impact on their mentees is profound.
Mentoring Doesn’t End with Seniority
Jo has held executive roles in major financial institutions, led a technology scale-up, and now serves on several boards. And understandably, many professionals seek her guidance as a mentor.
Interestingly, what stood out most in our conversation was her openness about still seeking mentorship herself.
Stepping into board roles introduced new dynamics, responsibilities, and decision-making frameworks. Despite decades of leadership experience, she recognised there were still perspectives she herself, needed to learn from.
Her mindset reflects something we see in the strongest mentoring cultures: leadership is not the end point. The most effective mentors don’t position themselves as the final authority. Instead, they model curiosity, humility, and continuous development. And that example matters.
When senior leaders openly continue learning, it creates an environment where growth is normal at every stage of a career.
When Mentoring Becomes about Perspective
Jo also challenged another common myth about mentoring. Many people assume mentors exist to provide answers. But in practice, the most valuable mentoring moments often come from something much simpler. Questions.
Rather than offering direct advice, great mentors help mentees unpack their thinking. They listen carefully, reflect back what they hear, and encourage the mentee to explore their own reasoning.
A mentee hears their situation played back in a slightly different way and suddenly sees something they hadn’t noticed before, a new perspective.
An emotion becomes clearer.
A challenge feels more manageable.
A new path becomes visible.
In these moments, the mentor hasn’t solved the problem. They’ve helped the mentee see it more clearly.
Using Gap Analysis to Support Career Decisions
One of the practical tools Jo uses in mentoring conversations is a simple form of gap analysis.
This approach can be particularly helpful when a mentee is considering a stretch opportunity or leadership move.
Often the hesitation comes down to readiness.
Am I ready for this role?
Do I have enough experience?
What if I’m not prepared?
Rather than answering these questions directly, mentors can guide mentees through a structured reflection, starting with two questions:
- Where do you want to go?
- What capabilities or experiences might still need strengthening to get there?
From there, mentors and mentees can identify potential gaps and create a plan to close them.
Sometimes the gaps are practical, like gaining exposure to a particular project, strengthening a skill set, or expanding networks.
But sometimes the gap is confidence. And in those moments, a mentor’s role becomes particularly important. Not to push someone toward a decision, but to help them recognise their own readiness.
Helping Mentees Move from Doubt to Clarity
Many mentors will recognise this experience. You can often see the potential in your mentee long before they see it themselves.
Jo shared an example from her own career where a mentor helped her assess a significant opportunity at a time when she was balancing family commitments and a demanding role.
Instead of simply encouraging her to take the opportunity, the mentor helped break the decision down.
They explored the risks.
They discussed the practical realities.
They assessed her readiness objectively.
By unpacking the decision step by step, what initially felt overwhelming became manageable.
The outcome wasn’t about persuasion. It was about clarity. And that clarity gave her the confidence to take a step that became an important part of her leadership journey.
Why Mentoring Works Best as a Two-Way Relationship
Perhaps the most powerful idea from Jo’s experience is that mentoring works best when it benefits both people involved.
Mentors don’t just give guidance, they gain perspective.
Through their mentees they encounter different industries, new ideas, and fresh ways of thinking about familiar challenges. They stay connected to emerging trends and evolving leadership contexts.
The most energising mentoring relationships often share one quality: mutual curiosity.
Both people arrive ready to learn. Both people leave seeing something differently.
Building a Culture of Continuous Learning
For organisations building mentoring programs, this insight is important.
Mentoring should never be framed simply as knowledge transfer from the experienced to the inexperienced. When positioned that way, it risks becoming transactional.
Instead, the most effective mentoring cultures focus on reflection, questioning, and shared learning.
When conversations create space for thoughtful questioning and structured reflection, participants develop deeper insight into their goals, decisions, and leadership journeys.
At MentorKey, we see this every day. When mentoring conversations are supported with reflection prompts and guided questioning, participants move beyond surface-level advice and into meaningful development.
And when mentors themselves remain curious learners, the impact multiplies.
Because the strongest mentoring cultures aren’t built on hierarchy.
They’re built on a shared commitment to growth.
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At MentorKey, we believe that mentoring, coaching and sponsorship programs can play a powerful role in strengthening these leadership conversations. By creating structured spaces for reflection and dialogue, organisations can help their people build the clarity, confidence and capability needed to lead well.
Listen to the full podcast episode or watch on YouTube.