Mentoring Leadership

Over the past year, I have been working on a small project that is getting remarkably close to being ready. But before I talk about the project, I want to share a little about how I got to this point.

I have written before about how I created the name of my company, but it is worth revisiting because it relates to this work. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to take part in a project that helped people define a single word that represented who I am—similar to the framed one-word posters you often see in offices, like “Attitude.” This process was different. It involved several meetings and personal writing exercises. In the end, all that information was distilled into one word. Mine came back as “Genuine.”

The next part of this story comes from my 30+ year career. I began reflecting on my time with the company I still work for and the many roles I’ve held. I asked myself a simple question: of all the jobs I’ve had, which one did I enjoy the most? The answer was easy, mentoring the people I worked with. Helping someone grow and develop into a strong leader has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

When you put those two things together, it becomes clear how my business name was created: The Genuine Mentor.

I am still working for the same company today, currently helping with a full SAP rollout, which keeps me quite busy. Even so, over the past two years I have built my business, developed the brand, launched a website, written consistent articles, provided pro bono coaching, and started building my Mentoring Leadership Program—the project I mentioned earlier.

I am building a leadership course that meets two hours a week over eight weeks. I have taught similar courses in the past, and this one is built entirely from my years of experience.

Let me let you in on what this course will look like

Mentoring Leadership

Building leaders who listen, guide, and make the hard calls—humanly.

Mentoring Leadership is a people-first leadership program designed to help leaders build trust through one-on-ones, guide growth with clarity, and make hard leadership decisions with honesty and care.

The Mentoring Leadership Model

LISTEN → CONNECT → CLARIFY → GUIDE → DECIDE

Listen – Create safety. Hear what’s underneath.  Connect (Empathy) – Build trust without lowering standards.  Clarify – Align on goals, expectations, and direction.  Guide – Develop people, not just performance.  Decide (Responsibility) – Have honest conversations. Make the hard calls.

One-on-ones are the practice field—and ultimately the training ground—for future leaders.

What Leaders Learn

• How to run meaningful one-on-ones  • How to listen without fixing or performing  • How to give clarity without control  • How to address performance issues early  • How to guide careers—not just manage work  • How to make tough decisions with integrity 

Why This Program Works

• Builds trust before problems escalate  • Prevents surprises in year-end reviews  • Reduces disengagement and quiet quitting  • Strengthens accountability without fear  • Creates calm, confident leaders—not loud ones 

The Outcome

Leaders who show up consistently, tell the truth early, develop people intentionally, and lead with presence—not ego.

Mentoring Leadership doesn’t create perfect leaders. It creates trusted ones.

I would love your feedback on this program and whether it would be of interest to you. While I’m still finishing the rollout timeline, I’m excited about the direction this is heading. I’m being intentional and meticulous in building something that is practical, human, and incredibly helpful for leaders who want to do this work the right way.

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