The paper analyzes the article “The Influence of Being a Mentor on Leadership Development: Recommendations for Curricular and Co-Curricular Experiences” by Jim Lee, Hannah Sunerman, and Lindsay Hastings, published in the Journal of Leadership Education in July 2020.
Generally, one must recognize that each theme successfully worked in the article, which has demonstrated favorable student development results to one degree or another. Indeed, they play an essential role in curriculum and co-curricular leadership growth interventions. As practice shows, many aspects depend on a context, a case, and the perception and opinion of a student regarding the particular practice. Nevertheless, according to the student, curricular training, mentee experiences, and observing a ripple effect are among the most effective and efficient strategies.
Curricular training is the main base in the development of generativity; without mastering it, it is impossible to become an authentic leader, inspirer, and role model. Hence, due to this training, a person, as a mentor, has a unique opportunity to successfully develop the necessary skills and abilities to master oneself in a new role. More importantly, there is a rather deep, close, and inextricable connection between theory and practice from the point of view of curricular training, which gives an experience that can later be competently and correctly applied.
Experiences with mentees are one of the most fundamental and significant approaches to providing support within the framework of transferring valuable knowledge and wise advice, helping form specific skills and abilities, and receiving feedback. Investigation of the theme illustrated students’ significant progress, growth, and advancement in the spectrum of self-development, self-improvement, and self-realization as a leader. Thus, the interactions between a mentor and a student are filled with depth, importance, and inclusiveness, allowing one to understand oneself better, realizing own strengths and weaknesses, and direct them in the right direction.
In addition, one should note that observing a ripple effect approach demonstrates itself from the best side. Therefore, due to the “experiment,” it became apparent how some mentors gain strength and stability and express hope and resilience by watching how a mentee applies concepts. A student’s achievement is a joy for an instructor, giving a sense of satisfaction that the results of a student’s activities exceeded expectations. In this case, a mentor is aware of their involvement in success, comprehends the creative principle in their activity, and is convinced of the correctness of the methods used.