The Mentoring Manifesto, Vol. 28: Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders
One of our six qualities of an ideal mentee is men who have the potential to be leaders and influencers. Some mentors place a larger emphasis on “leader development” than others, but what’s inarguable is that spending time covering important topics under the guidance of an older, wiser mentor increases a man’s leadership capacity. In fact, in our end-of-season survey, 85% of mentees say they grew in their leadership due to the mentoring season.
Most churches we talk to express a need for more leaders, and many specifically use Radical Mentoring to fill their leadership pipeline. They use assignments like the Personal Ministry Plan (featured below) to help their mentees uncover their gifts and strengths, determine the right serving opportunities, and live up to their covenant commitment to “pay it forward by investing in others for spiritual purposes.”
As their mentor, your mentees view you as a leader, and they want to hear what you think makes you a good leader and what would make you a better one. They don’t want a bland, textbook discussion of leadership. They want to hear truth from someone who’s been a leader for a while. Luckily most leadership is caught, not taught, so you can model it whether or not you explicitly discuss leadership in your group. We’ve compiled the resources below to help you along the way.
PERSONAL MINISTRY PLAN ASSIGNMENT
MENTORING VIDEOS ON LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
JOHN MAXWELL ON HOW TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATION LEADERS
A LIFETIME’S WORTH OF LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES
RM founder and longtime leader Regi Campbell shares ten leadership principles he believed in and practiced. Hopefully, they give you a fresh outlook on leadership or inspire you to compile the principles you live by so you can share them with your mentees.
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.