A sales principle—'You can't be more committed than your prospect'—applies directly to mentorship. A mentor's energy should mirror the mentee's. When a mentee stops applying advice, the mentor must pull back to avoid burnout and wasting effort on someone not committed to their own success.

A mentor isn't someone who provides step-by-step instructions. The most powerful learning comes from finding someone you admire and closely observing their every move, how they speak, and how they behave in the face of obstacles, rather than seeking direct guidance.

Orlando Bravo argues valuable mentorship isn't found in occasional calls. It's cultivated through daily work with colleagues who have direct context on your challenges. Proximity allows for the deep, nuanced guidance that scheduled, low-context conversations cannot provide.

Mentoring is not just altruistic; it's a powerful tool for self-improvement. When mentees apply a senior PM's frameworks and encounter challenges, it forces the mentor to refine their models, plug gaps, and confirm which patterns are truly repeatable. It's a feedback loop for your own expertise.

New leaders must transition from being the expert to being a coach. This involves letting your team struggle and even fail. Ask open-ended questions like, "When have you faced something similar before?" to build their problem-solving skills instead of simply giving them the solution.

Many leaders, particularly in technical fields, mistakenly believe their role is to provide all the answers. This approach disempowers teams and creates a bottleneck. Shifting from advising to coaching unlocks a team's problem-solving potential and allows leaders to scale their impact.

Busy, successful people mentor others because they find joy in watching that person grow. Mentees must show they are applying the advice and getting results. This demonstrates a return on the mentor's time and emotional investment, ensuring their continued engagement.

A coaching-based leadership style is valuable for engagement but can fail in ambiguity. When a team struggles to find a "red thread" connecting their work, the leader must switch from asking questions to providing a clear, assertive frame and setting direction.

A common pitfall in mentorship is developing emotional dependency. Mentors should provide support, advice, and guidance for your professional growth, but they are not a place for codependency or a substitute for a therapist or parent. Keeping this boundary clear is crucial for a healthy and effective relationship.