Leader Mentoring: Find, Inspire, and Cultivate Great Leaders (Paperback)

by Michael Shenkman (Author)
Key Phrases: being mentored, creating followers, leader brand, Arch of Leadership, Choosing the Candidate, The Life of Leading Greatly (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Mentoring differs from instruction, teaching, and coaching in that it emphasizes not talents and skills used in executing a project, but the qualities and values of life that are needed to sustain oneself in the creative endeavor. In Leader Mentoring, Shenkman makes the case for leader mentoring. "No mentors, no leaders," he says. Yet, this great, ancient, and necessary catalyst for learning has been neglected by our training and development industry.

Leader Mentoring comprises a qualitatively different service than does coaching. For any executive who wants to succeed, coaching has proven its worth. But mentoring touches something else: how managers can shape their lives so that they can step into larger challenges and risks to accomplish something greater than they ever have before.

Shenkman delves into the true significance of mentoring. This edgy book introduces new concepts by asking readers to open their hearts and minds and think differently. It reaches for the true history, tradition, and spirit that motivates mentoring. Throughout the book, Shenkman's colleagues and clients tell their stories about their own mentoring experiences. "Mentoring has changed everything in my life," says one.

With a heightened understanding of leader mentoring, the executive reader's concepts of coaching and mentoring will change. With this distinction clearly in mind, decision-makers can offer their prospective leaders the best and most appropriate resource for their needs and stage of life.

There is simply not another book out there like this one. At this moment, when great leaders need to be found and set to work, Leader Mentoring provides critical insights into how we can help them step up to those challenges.

About the Author
Michael Shenkman, Ph.D., president of the Arch of Leadership, a nationally recognized leader mentoring firm based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the author of The Arch and The Path: The Life of Leading Greatly and two other books, as well as numerous published articles. He developed the Arch of Leadership program after more than 20 years of consulting experience, extensive research, executive coaching, and mentoring. He holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and a B.A. from Dickinson College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Career Press (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601630123
• ISBN-13: 978-1601630124
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,282,862 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Specific and useful suggestions, December 19, 2008

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Specific and useful suggestions
Michael H. Shenkman has lengthy experience in mentoring up-and-coming leaders. Since the field of professional leader mentoring is so new, he takes time to explain what it is and isn't. He differentiates leader mentoring from coaching, and gives priority to his chosen field. The book provides core ideas, some real-world examples and a few testimonials. However, it also includes an unexpected ingredient: a sales pitch that invites you to hire his company. Even so, getAbstract finds that his comprehensive teaching suggestions are specific and useful, from how to select a mentoring candidate to how to calculate the ROI of mentoring.

4.0 out of 5 stars How to mentor your young developing executives into the leadership you need, September 5, 2008

By	Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This book tries to create a space for a new type of professional to help your business. Executive coaching has become well established and now Michael Shenkman makes the case that you should also have leadership mentors. Previously, he had created the arch of leadership that he uses in his training and workshops. Now he wants you to hire third party people to mentor you up and coming talent to help them become the leaders you will need to fill slots in the near future.

Sure, you can mentor some people in your firm and your CEO and top executives are probably helping the next-in-line to get ready to take the next slots. But what about those just behind them? You don't have enough mentoring capacity to develop all the raw talent you have. Shenkman points out the benefits of having great talent in your firm read to go as slots open up through succession or growth. He also makes a convincing argument that it will aid your efforts at hanging on to your best young talent.

However, I am not quite sold on this new category. It seems like a strained twist on coaching. However, the author and his firm may well be onto something and prove me wrong. An interesting read.

Reviewed, by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Book on Leaders and where they come from, September 3, 2008

By	Billie Spell "Creative Business Ecologies" (Silicon Valley CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Executive Coaching? Had it! MBAs? We got 'em by the busload! Leadership Development Curriculum? 5 million hits in your search engine! So why the dearth of bold and creative leadership in our communities, organizations and institutions? Michael Shenkman addresses this question precisely and incisively. Great leaders have great mentors. Great mentors produce great and bold leaders. Mentoring is the time honored tradition that fosters and supports leaders through the challenges presented by the life of leading. Dr. Shenkman describes the process and relationship between mentor and mentee, sets benchmarks for who gets mentored and who mentors and addresses the question of return on investment. This is a must read for leaders who want to do and be more, those responsible for developing new leaders and anyone mentoring a leader.