Mentoring Emerging Women Business Leaders
The WGU School of Business sponsors and participates in The Business Journals’ Mentoring Monday.
One quick piece of advice I like to share with emerging professionals is based on the viral quote from Creative Director and Writer Billy Ivey: Misery loves company, but so does joy, and joy throws better parties.
Early in our careers, it can be easy to bond over stress, frustration or the challenges of work. Misery is loud, and it can be contagious. But I’ve learned that joy is just as powerful and far more productive.
The people who choose optimism, curiosity and gratitude – even when things are hard – create environments where others want to spend time. It invites collaboration rather than competition and resilience rather than burnout.
What Is Mentoring Monday? A National Effort to Support Women in Business
For the second year in a row, I’ve shared this and other advice while serving as a mentor to dozens of women during the national fast-paced Mentoring Monday event hosted by American City Business Journals.
It’s an event that not only creates joy, but also inspiration and meaningful networking.
That’s why the WGU School of Business has sponsored the event for the second consecutive year. Held in 40 cities across the country on Feb. 23, hundreds of established women business leaders mentored the next generation of women in business as part of a nationwide effort to support mentoring in the business community.
Stories from the Next Generation of Women Leaders
In Phoenix this year, I met some amazing women whose positivity was infectious.
I met a young woman who went from serving tables to a leadership role in communications. She now aspires to speak to youth about suicide, drugs and life after high school. She was motivated and empowered, and she is so capable.
I met a woman who, in her late 50s, is learning to play ice hockey. With her newfound passion, she’s making a transition from communications to professional sports—all because she sees the value of coaching, mentoring and giving and receiving feedback.
While on two different “playing fields,” they share so much. Dreams. Fears. The ability to see their skills impacting the workforce.
How WGU Leaders Show Up as Mentors Across the Country
My colleagues also served as mentors: Regional Vice President Tonya Drake in Seattle, Vice President Sandra Sjoberg in Dallas and Marketing Strategy Senior Director Malena Johnson in Atlanta.
Drake, who has served as a Mentoring Monday mentor several times, found advising emerging women in business in Seattle this year incredibly inspiring and energizing, especially in a city known for innovation, resilience and bold ideas. She also appreciated connecting with professionals who are just beginning their careers as well as with women who are ready to step confidently into their next level of leadership.
“The energy of being together and connecting in person was powerful,” Drake said. “It renewed my own sense of purpose in mentoring others and left me with a bright and hopeful outlook for the community we can build together.”
In Dallas, Sjoberg valued her time advising mentees on their next career steps.
“As a first-time mentor for Mentoring Monday, I was impressed with the breadth of career paths in the room, from a new lawyer evaluating her career path options to mid-career leaders charting their path to their next opportunity,” Sjoberg said. “I was deeply impressed by the intentionality of these women, who arrived with a clear purpose and a focus on specific topics to support them in owning every part of their professional journey.”
For Johnson, spending time guiding a group of emerging women leaders was rewarding.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to connect with women at all different stages of their careers,” Johnson said. “It was meaningful to share my experiences and lessons learned — and just as meaningful to learn from them. I hope the conversation offered guidance and encouragement as they continue to grow in their careers.”
What Effective Mentorship Requires
Mentorship is an intentional action. It’s about thoughtfully taking time to invest in someone else and using your experiences and knowledge – learned from both the good and bad, the wins and the setbacks – to help make someone else’s journey easier.
I’m grateful to those who have mentored me throughout my career, and I’m fortunate to support others while continuing to learn along the way.
How WGU Embeds Mentorship into the Student Experience
I am also grateful to work at WGU where mentorship is foundational: Each student is paired with a program mentor who is an expert in the field the student is studying. Mentors help students create personalized plans that serve as road maps to their career goals. The mentors are there, by the student’s side, every step of the way.
