{"id":2981,"date":"2017-03-23T11:11:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-23T08:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=2981"},"modified":"2022-02-04T13:57:42","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T11:57:42","slug":"women-african-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/women-african-leaders","title":{"rendered":"Coaching And Mentoring For The Female African Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a1546e82b1b8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a1546e82b1b8\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/women-african-leaders\/#The_Value_of_Business_Coaching_and_Mentorship\" >The Value of Business Coaching and Mentorship<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/women-african-leaders\/#Mentorship\" >Mentorship<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/women-african-leaders\/#Coaching\" >Coaching<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/women-african-leaders\/#Case_Study_%E2%80%93_Lynnette_Wairimu_%E2%80%93_Richemele_International_%E2%80%93_Executive_Business_Manager\" >Case Study \u2013 Lynnette Wairimu &#8211; Richemele International \u2013 Executive Business Manager<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Value_of_Business_Coaching_and_Mentorship\"><\/span><b>The Value of Business Coaching and Mentorship<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching and mentoring are increasingly becoming some of the most profound ways of developing and also supporting female leaders especially within Africa. There is currently a clear indication that women who choose to be coached and mentored rise up the career ladder much faster, showcasing excellent performance in their jobs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both interventions work alongside traditional interventions such as training and practical methods that aid personal and professional growth. Today, life for the African woman has changed as she finds herself competing with global talent given the uptake of technology, which has diminished geographical boundaries. It is definitely not business as usual. Careers are now moving at supersonic speeds and savvy women are no longer thinking about taking simple steps, they are daring to take quantum leaps towards top leadership positions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women in leadership on the continent should not be a simple statistic. They need to deliver stratospheric results in order to sustain their positions. Therefore, women have to battle and walk through the jungle of life seamlessly, and if this means seeking help, so be it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breaking down psychological barriers then becomes a formidable skill for any woman who wants to rise up in leadership, and sustain that position. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mentorship\"><\/span><b>Mentorship<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2987\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-mentorship.png\" alt=\"Business mentorship\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-mentorship.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-mentorship-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-mentorship-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the UK\u2019s leading mentor-matching organisation, <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"http:\/\/www.mentoring.org\/why-mentoring\/mentoring-impact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mentoring.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, young adults who were at risk of falling off the track but had a mentor are: &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">55% more likely to enrol in college &nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">78% more likely to volunteer regularly &nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90% are interested in becoming a mentor &nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">130% more likely to hold leadership positions. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mentorship is a natural space for women because it is relationship-based and women are relationship builders. This means that it requires a form of admiration and positive relationship between the two people so that it can be an effective journey that can also last for a longer time. It also requires some chemistry between mentor and mentee in order for both to reap the full benefits of mentorship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today the woman leader has realised that a mentor can be either male or female and age is also not a barrier as long as the mentor has superior knowledge, skill, experience or exposure in the area she is seeking to be assisted with. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In her book \u2018Lean In\u2019, Sheryl Sandberg alluded to the fact that one does not have to have 100% excellence in order to go for an opportunity. She goes on to advise that women should learn to seize opportunities that might be a shoe size bigger (or more!), then find ways to grow into the right fit along the way. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As women aspire towards leadership roles, along the journey of life we usually find that opportunities present themselves especially when we do not feel wholly ready. As women our minds battle with many things and self-speech is normal; we are never entirely ready for marriage, we are never completely ready for a&nbsp;career change, we are never fully ready for children and we are never exactly fit for an executive leadership position!. But the good question to ask ourselves is, \u2018Who is honestly, ever ready?\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a great strategy being used by those women who dare to take on such opportunities in order to actualize their aspirations. On a personal level I have seen it work for ladies who said &#8220;yes&#8221;, and then what they did was to look for somebody who had succeeded before them to help them through a steep learning curve or major transition. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More often now, women who are afraid of stepping into the unknown waters are choosing to \u2018pivot\u2019 or \u2018piggy-back\u2019 into the water with the help of those who are experienced enough to understand how deep or cool the water is. It really helps to listen to the stories of others who have been through the jungle before you and who are willing to share with you how they combated the hungry roaring lion, how they dealt with the green snakes in the grass, how they managed to spot the chameleons that took on the color of everything around them, and even how they survived the poisonous plants that looked so delicious when they felt hungry. If you ever want to know how on earth did one go through the jungle, it is best for you to ask someone who has actually done it and succeeded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A real example could be a woman who wants to open a chain of African cuisine restaurants but knows nothing about pitching to investors. She would definitely benefit from speaking to someone else who owns a chain, manages a chain or has invested in another chain of restaurants before to mentor her towards this audacious goal. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Coaching\"><\/span><b>Coaching<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2986\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-coaching.png\" alt=\"Business coaching\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-coaching.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-coaching-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/bm-coaching-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching provides positive support, feedback and advice on an individual or group basis to improve personal effectiveness in the business setting. Business coaching is also called executive coaching, corporate coaching or leadership coaching. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaches can have a great positive impact on women in leadership positions especially when they would like to advance towards specific professional goals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching has been a great way for women to get help along a journey that requires transition or is confusing or whereby there is a need to unlock an internal resource or potential that is already within. Good coaches are now popular and they use skilful questioning to be able to help women in executive positions unpack the things hindering them from really achieving your full potential or even reaching a simple decision. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common types of coaching that women seek are life coaches, and this is simply because as a natural multi-tasker, sometimes the illusion of being \u2018super-woman or super-mom\u2019 can become a real threat. Human beings need to remain authentic to their inner centre and accept when the journey is to too tough to tread alone and this is where women are increasingly seeking help. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today\u2019s woman is confident enough to understand that her mother or her best friend cannot solve all her challenges. Therefore, seeking coaches to help her work through issues such as life-work balance, managing objection at work, effective leadership, or even public speaking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2993\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Mentor-_-Coaching-1.png\" alt=\"Mentorship and coaching\" width=\"848\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Mentor-_-Coaching-1.png 848w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Mentor-_-Coaching-1-770x252.png 770w, https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Mentor-_-Coaching-1-390x127.png 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Case_Study_%E2%80%93_Lynnette_Wairimu_%E2%80%93_Richemele_International_%E2%80%93_Executive_Business_Manager\"><\/span><b>Case Study \u2013 Lynnette Wairimu &#8211; Richemele International \u2013 Executive Business Manager<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI don\u2019t want to look back when I am 40 and say that I could have done this, or I should have done that.\u201d This is what Lynnette lives by. She started her mentorship journey about 2 years back and she believes there\u2019s no substitute for the kind of wisdom and experience that a mentor can offer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She adds \u201cFor anybody starting out in business or struggling with all of the different roles and responsibilities, lacking confidence in making decisions, or wasting time trying things that don\u2019t prove to be useful can be problematic. I, therefore, chose a mentor that not only has a strong business and analytical background, but also a personality that could help direct my choleric energy towards positive results. Admiration and trust take centre place in our relationship. My advice to young female leaders is that finding the right answers and solutions with the help of a great mentor can make a young individual more effective, quickly. As my mentor says \u2018If you want to get to your destination faster but with a smooth ride, choose a Rolls Royce not a bicycle!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to note that both coaching and mentorship relationships might require an investment of time and finance. However, driven women understand the priceless value and return on investment when they reap positive impact, personally and professionally. Finally, given the excellent benefits, corporates and small business owners are now embracing coaching and mentorship as growth and development interventions. This has facilitated the rise in corporate level programs, some of them specifically targeting women.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Value of Business Coaching and Mentorship Coaching and mentoring are increasingly becoming some of the most profound ways of developing and also supporting female leaders especially within Africa. There is currently a clear indication that women who choose to be coached and mentored rise up the career ladder much faster, showcasing excellent performance in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":2985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-life-at-work"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2981"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=2981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}