Learn how to support your mentee in assessing, validating, developing, balancing, applying, and reviewing their leadership strengths as a mentor.

It is useful in a mentoring partnership experience to ask the mentees to consider when they were at their best. Ask them to consider roles, moments, experiences that they would identify they were performing at their best and most fulfilled. There are also many assessments that can be used to identify strengths and then discuss how to enhance those strengths and fully tap into them. Additionally, part of utilizing one's strengths is building confidence...this is a key focus area for many mentees and a mentor can help build confidence in a mentee to then be able to step into their full potential and tap into their strengths.

What do you do if your mentee needs help identifying and utilizing their leadership strengths?

As a mentor, you want to help your mentee grow as a leader and achieve their goals. But what if your mentee is not sure about their own leadership strengths and how to use them effectively? Here are some tips on how to support your mentee in identifying and utilizing their leadership strengths.

Key takeaways from this article

Identify peak moments:

Encourage your mentee to reflect on when they felt most effective and fulfilled. This helps them recognize their strengths and provides a foundation for further development.### *Boost confidence with exercises:Use activities like the "I AM" exercise to help your mentee map out their strengths. This can open their eyes to their powerful characteristics, enhancing self-assurance in their leadership abilities.

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1 Assess their strengths

The first step is to help your mentee assess their strengths objectively and realistically. You can use various tools and methods, such as online quizzes, feedback surveys, self-reflection exercises, or even a simple SWOT analysis. The goal is to help your mentee discover what they are good at, what they enjoy doing, and what value they bring to their team or organization.

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Bronwen Sciortino

International Author & Speaker - The Simplicity Expert
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One of the first things I do with a mentee who needs a confidence boost is get them to complete my I AM exercise. This helps them to map out where their strengths are and opens their eyes to just how many powerful characteristics they have.

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Elis Almeida

Sócia e COO na rede RHF Talentos | Psicóloga | Mentora de Negócios | Gestão de Equipe | Liderança | T&D | Avaliação Psicológica | RH | Franquia
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Precisamos auxiliar o mentorado no seu processo de autoconhecimento, trazendo possibilidades de reflexão onde consiga identificar o que gosta de fazer e o que faz muito bem.

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Jane Feng, PhD

Your Partner in Leadership & Organization Effectiveness
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Here are five things the mentor can consider doing: #1. Leverage a leadership instrument or 360 feedback to know the mentee's strengths and weaknesses. #2. Have a debrief session with the mentee to reflect on the scenarios that he/she did with the strengths/weaknesses. #3. As a mentor, engage the use of self to help the mentee with the situations from his own experiences. #4. Provided a missing presence to enhance the mentee's self-awareness. #5. Advise to optimize strengths, and navigate weaknesses.

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2 Validate their strengths

The second step is to validate your mentee's strengths and encourage them to embrace them. Sometimes, your mentee may doubt their abilities or downplay their achievements. As a mentor, you can provide positive and constructive feedback, recognition, and praise to boost your mentee's confidence and motivation. You can also share your own stories and examples of how you leveraged your strengths in different situations and challenges.

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Missy Chicre

CEO at Menttium Corporation I Top LinkedIn Voice I Enriching lives and strengthening organizations through innovative mentoring experiences.
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It is useful in a mentoring partnership experience to ask the mentees to consider when they were at their best. Ask them to consider roles, moments, experiences that they would identify they were performing at their best and most fulfilled. There are also many assessments that can be used to identify strengths and then discuss how to enhance those strengths and fully tap into them. Additionally, part of utilizing one's strengths is building confidence...this is a key focus area for many mentees and a mentor can help build confidence in a mentee to then be able to step into their full potential and tap into their strengths.

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3 Develop their strengths

The third step is to help your mentee develop their strengths and expand their potential. You can do this by setting specific and realistic goals, creating action plans, and offering guidance and resources. You can also challenge your mentee to step out of their comfort zone and try new things that align with their strengths. For example, you can suggest that your mentee take on a leadership role in a project, volunteer for a cause, or join a professional network.

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4 Balance their strengths

The fourth step is to help your mentee balance their strengths and avoid overusing or underusing them. Sometimes, your mentee may rely too much on their strengths and neglect their weaknesses or opportunities for improvement. Other times, your mentee may hide their strengths or conform to others' expectations. As a mentor, you can help your mentee identify and address these issues by providing honest and respectful feedback, asking open-ended questions, and offering alternative perspectives and solutions.

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5 Apply their strengths

The fifth step is to help your mentee apply their strengths to their current and future roles and situations. You can do this by helping your mentee identify and seize opportunities to showcase their strengths and add value to their team or organization. You can also help your mentee align their strengths with their vision, values, and purpose. Finally, you can help your mentee celebrate their successes and learn from their failures.

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6 Review their strengths

The sixth step is to help your mentee review their strengths regularly and adjust them as needed. You can do this by conducting periodic check-ins, feedback sessions, and evaluations with your mentee. You can also encourage your mentee to seek feedback from others, such as peers, managers, or clients. The goal is to help your mentee monitor their progress, measure their impact, and recognize their achievements.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your mentee needs help identifying and utilizing their leadership strengths?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Assess their strengths

2 Validate their strengths

3 Develop their strengths

4 Balance their strengths

5 Apply their strengths

6 Review their strengths

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mentoring

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What do you do if your mentee needs help identifying and utilizing their leadership strengths?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Assess their strengths

2 Validate their strengths

3 Develop their strengths

4 Balance their strengths

5 Apply their strengths

6 Review their strengths

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mentoring

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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