The act of leading is often confused with the act of being a mentor, and vice versa. However, these are two different roles. See below the dictionary definitions of a leader and a mentor:
- Leader – the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country
- Mentor – an experienced and trusted adviser.
As you can see the definitions are different, however they are quite bland. To help you out, here are my definitions and difference between them both:
- “A leader is one who leverages their influence by using their experience to adapt and exhibit the right behaviours to influence any situation to create a positive outcome”
- “A mentor is one who guides and directs a mentee based on actual real world experience”
Essentially, mentor is someone who has been there, done it and got the t-shirt. They then use their experience to guide and direct a person they see as a mentee who can follow in their footsteps and avoid the mistakes they made. This is often about legacy.
A leader is one who behaves in a certain way, in line with my A.R.E. Leadership model, to create positive outcomes in any situation. They do not need to have the experience nor knowledge. They need to know how to Adapt, utilise the Right Behaviours and Experience to make the best possible decisions.
A mentor is usually one who is sought out by others to help them progress, whereas a leader incorporates leadership into all aspects of their lives and is seen by most as someone to look up too. Although they are two different roles by definition, you may find both within the same person. This person usually demonstrates the behaviours of a leader, but also has a wealth of experience.
The most important question which follows is, which do you need? It depends on your personal situation. For example, if you are in a career where you have a good understanding of where you need to go, but you want to be the best or see specific growth in that particular area, then you are looking for a mentor. If, in another example, you are working within a team and feel lost, misguided and need someone to step in to provide guidance and direction, then you are looking for a leader.
Thank you for reading, JT
