Go Boldly: Five Mentorship Lessons

I recently interviewed Merck & Co. CEO Ken Frazier. He shared his journey from a desegregated public high school in Philadelphia to the boardroom of one of the world’s great pharmaceutical companies.

It was a journey that he said he couldn’t have made without unwavering support from mentors including William Coleman, Jr., the former secretary of transportation who was the second African-American to serve in the United States cabinet, and the late civil rights activist and business executive Vernon Jordan.

That conversation reminded me of a few of the invaluable lessons of mentorship that I’ve learned over the years.

1. All mentors are valuable, but it helps to include mentors who look like you. When Ken joined a top Philadelphia law firm after graduating from Harvard Law School, he was only the second African-American it had ever hired. Nobody else in the organization could fully relate to the complexity of the situation Ken faced as he embarked on his legal career in an old-school firm in the late 1970s. To fill that gap, he sought mentors who had been in similar situations. The lesson is a critical one for anyone learning how to negotiate unknown territory—first-generation college graduates, for example. What almost should go without saying: It helps to have mentors who don’t share your background, too. 

2. Find mentors from outside your organization. Like Ken, you may need to go outside of your organization to find mentors who are like you. But you should be looking there anyway. Why? You limit the breadth and depth of your input when you restrict your mentors to those within your organization. Cast a wider net for mentors of different types who represent different points of view to build your personal board of directors. 

3. The best mentorships are two ways. Mentors also gain many things from the relationship. It’s a chance for the mentor to receive unvarnished feedback, for example, or to solicit input on new ideas. For this to work, typically the senior person needs to encourage the junior person to contribute in a way that makes it a more balanced relationship. When I was a summer associate, Kent Thiry, who was the partner on my case at the time, gave me feedback on my presentation. Then, he asked for my input on how I thought he did at convincing the clients of the direction he was giving them. Since then I’ve always asked mentees for their ideas and reflections, and I’ve found great value in their views.

4. Consider “reverse mentoring.” Learning from younger generations is important. Bain started a Reverse Mentorship program, enlisting digital natives within the company to tutor older generations on the best ways to use emerging technology. It quickly became an unqualified success. Mentees learned about the latest apps and technology tricks, as expected, but they also gained insights into a younger generation’s opinions and behavior—insights that improve their ability to serve clients and help us further develop our talent. Another big benefit: People of different generations work better together as a result. 

5. Mentorship and sponsorship are different—and you need them both. In the words of Solvay CEO Ilham Kadri, “a mentor talks with you, a sponsor speaks about you.” Mentors are people who help guide you as you steer your career. Sponsors are people who talk you up when you are not in the room. In our interview, Ken spoke of this distinction. “All my life I’ve had the mentorship and importantly the sponsorship of people who were in a position to make or break my career. That’s unusual, I think, for a minority person in my position,” he said. In the best of situations, a mentor becomes a sponsor.

I cannot write about mentoring without thanking some of the many who have helped shape my career—and continue to serve as a source of inspiration. Former DaVita CEO Kent Thiry continues to mentor me and has taught me the importance of planning for the long haul. Nike CEO John Donahoe encouraged me to trust my instincts and to take risks. Sol Trujillo, chairman of Trujillo Group, stressed the value of being direct and not sugarcoating tough messages. Bain partner Julie Coffman, who is our chief diversity officer and head of our firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practice, helped me see the need to focus on what gives me the most energy and delegate to others what doesn’t.