Part of your skill as an effective mentor is to maintain a sense of respect from your mentee. This is because when we respect someone we are more open to learning from them, and to being influenced by them. The respect that a mentee has for their mentor might be easily given, for instance because of the mentor’s profile or position. Quite often this quality of respect grows over time. What is important is that ultimately your mentee regards you as someone they can learn from or be supported by in some way.

While respect is sometimes given easily, it is more often earned – for example, when we consistently display qualities that our mentee values in some way, such as wisdom, integrity or strength of character. What creates respect in an individual is as unique as they are and links to what they value, fear or aspire to. As they share what has been possible for them, they may be pointing to what is also possible for you.