Lead, or be led.
Yesterday my fellow mentors and I met with potential mentees from the Master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme at Lund University here in Sweden, where I have been a mentor since last year.
A couple of them asked me what I was expecting from a mentee.
They probably didn't expect me to say that I want them to lead as equals.
These are after all, past, present or future leaders of companies and I see them as no less than that in our mentoring relationship.
Because I mentor exactly as I coach.
I am in service of them, so they can bring to the table what they need from me in order to get the most out of this partnership and their experience during their Master's degree.
Even when there is a perceived power imbalance in any professional relationship, each partner has to show up fully as an equal member.
The equation is quite simple: lead, or be led.
So the crucial capability you want to develop is to lead with agency your part of the partnership, even with someone who holds more power and authority than you.
And there is a way to do it skilfully.
On Thursday's online masterclass I show you how.
So I encourage you to reflect on this: where are you struggling in your ability to manage up in your relationship with your manager?
Is it making you physically shrink when you meet with them, or causing you think twice about sharing valuable feedback or suggestions, or keeping you in a childlike state of permission seeking, even when you need to take a day off to deal with a personal emergency at home?
All of the above are not uncommon, given the status quo that stares us in the face as women working in majority male industries.
But let's break the myths and misconceptions that keep us disconnected from our own power.
Join me for my masterclass and better still, invite a colleague (links to sign up are below).
October Masterclass: Managing Up with Confidence
15th October 12pm UK | 1pm CET
