Who is my Chanakya?

Relevance of formal Mentoring

Who is my Chanakya?

At crucial points in my career, I’ve benefitted from the professional advice and guidance of well-wishers, though predominantly through informal dialogues. While such interactions added value, they often lacked the structure and mutual accountability necessary for driving significant, sustainable change.

Today, with rising aspirations and globalization of the talent market, leadership development cycles are contracting. Further, leadership in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) business world requires quick learning, which has increased the need for formal mentoring engagements. These engagements not only provide leaders access to external expert knowledge but also help expand professional networks.

One of the most effective ways to grow is through cross-mentoring—learning from multiple mentors who each contribute to our transformation. This approach builds confidence, develops critical skills, helps us navigate uncertainty, and maximizes our leadership potential.

We all aspire to reach the top but often lack the behavioral, functional, and conceptual skills needed to get there. Cross-mentoring bridges that gap. To reach senior leadership, we need mentors from diverse backgrounds—just as multiple mentors shaped my corporate and academic journey. I am deeply grateful for their contributions to my success.

The Value of Mentoring

Carl Jung said, “Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens.” This quote captures the essence of development through mentoring. When facilitated by a trained industry expert, these practices offer several benefits

• An unbiased, external view of a leader’s development needs and potential solutions

• A focused, structured, and result-oriented development plan.

• Accelerated learning curve through shared practical wisdom.

• Enhanced strategic, long-term development and improved cross-functional collaboration.

  
  

Many leaders, especially in MSME/SME/Start-ups, leverage mentors/coaches over long periods of time as sounding boards. For instance, Bill Gates considers Warren Buffet his mentor. A leading example from Indian history is Chanakya, who acted as a Teacher, and Mentor to the great king Chandragupta Maurya in ruling his vast empire successfully.

Hope this gets you to think, “Who is my Chanakya?”!

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