What qualities do you think are most important for a mentor to possess?
The most important qualities for a strong mentor to possess are the ability to listen, motivate, and display great empathy for each mentees’ unique talents and experiences. The mentors I’ve worked with over the years have all shown me these attributes and I work to employ them in my own mentee relationships.
How do you approach building a strong and trusting relationship with your mentees?
Regular touchpoints, virtually or in-person, help build strong, trusting, and lasting relationships. Connecting with one another to discuss goals and celebrate successes helps build a bond and ultimately makes a difference for the other individual to feel supported and valued for their talents and strengths. In today’s technological world, connecting has been made easier than ever before.
As a female mentor, have you faced any unique challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Balancing multiple roles between professional and personal responsibilities has proven a unique challenge in pursuit of a career in law. By seeking support, leveraging resources, and prioritizing responsibilities I have paved the way to the career I maintain. Working with great people and having a special company culture also makes a world of difference, which affords me a platform for success.
Can you share a memorable lesson or piece of advice that you’ve learned from your own mentorship experiences
A piece of advice for those seeking to engage in mentoring or to grow their existing mentoring relationships is to appreciate how gratifying mentoring is as a truly symbiotic process for personal and professional growth. In giving to my own mentorship relationships, I have always gained so much in return, which further motivates me to keep striving to achieve even greater success.
