Investing in the FUTURE

In one of the interviews, actor Om Puri mentioned how his time at the National School of Drama (NSD) under the guidance of Ebrahim Alkazi, the legendary figure of Indian theatre, felt like being in a military academy. Alkazi, known for his strict discipline, shaped Puri’s values as an actor. “He was a character builder,” said Puri. When Mark Zuckerberg faced challenges in Facebook’s early days, he sought advice from his mentor, Steve Jobs. Jobs encouraged him to travel to India to reconnect with Facebook’s purpose. After Jobs passed away in 2011, Zuckerberg wrote a heartfelt post: “Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world.”

Mentors are important in helping people grow, whether it’s for personal development or career success. A mentor doesn’t always need to be from your field; their experience, advice, and support can help you grow in many ways. In business, a good mentor can shape mentees into strong leaders. But it also depends on the mentee. You need to listen carefully and apply what you learn from your mentor. Mentorship also isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Some mentors set clear, measurable goals, while others offer access to their professional network, helping mentees gain resources and connections to meet their goals. It’s a flexible relationship, and how much you gain often depends on how much you’re willing to invest. In fact, one of the powerful strategies of mentorship is giving mentees ownership over projects, allowing them to make decisions, face consequences, and learn first-hand, said Jaya Mehrotra, Founder, Women Leadership Circle, Leadership and Executive Coach.

“To cultivate future-ready leaders, mentorship needs to be deeply intentional and human-centered. It’s not about ticking off boxes or standard training—it’s about creating meaningful, one-on-one connections that focus on the unique strengths, aspirations, and challenges of each mentee. Leaders should mentor in a way that allows vulnerability, making room for real conversations about failures, doubts, and resilience,” she said.

To build strong future leaders, organisations should make mentorship a key part of their succession planning. However, not all companies promote mentoring to help employees grow. According to the Talent Mobility Research Report, more than 40% of organisations said they do not offer this kind of support to their employees, even though most agree that mentoring is valuable. “Mentorship serves as a powerful driver for identifying and nurturing future leaders by providing a unique platform for accelerated growth. It allows seasoned leaders to observe potential in action, going beyond traditional performance metrics to uncover hidden talents and provide tailored guidance. Through mentorship, organisations gain invaluable insights into their emerging leaders, enabling strategic succession planning and a stronger leadership pipeline for the future,” said Siddharth Shahani, co-founder and executive president, ATLAS SkillTech University.

The visionary Steve Jobs knew he had health issue and realised it was important to plan for a smooth transition to ensure the company’s success. He took an active part in choosing his successor. In 2011, just before he passed away, Jobs selected Tim Cook, who was Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, to be the new CEO. Jobs didn’t just pick Cook because they worked well together. He carefully considered Cook’s skills, fit with Apple’s culture, and understanding of the company’s values. Cook had shown strong leadership while Jobs was on medical leave, proving he could effectively manage the company during tough times.

“Mentorship for succession planning and leadership continuity has to be a deliberate attempt and not an accident. The Board and the C-Suite must be absolutely aligned and convinced that mentorship is the chosen way to develop in-house leadership pipeline. Defining a clear matrix of competencies and experiences for key roles that can be inculcated through mentorship is critical. The involvement of the senior leadership, regular evaluations and strategic review of the leadership mentoring program must be a continuous process to ensure leadership continuity,” said Jaideep Kewalramani, Head of Employability Business and COO, TeamLease Edtech. He further added how mentoring provides an opportunity to shape professional character that is aligned with the organisation’s EQ, culture, resilience and long-range vision that may not be evidently observable in the work environment. “Mentors also ensure that promising candidates get the visibility and opportunity to shine,” said Kewalramani.

Planning for tomorrow

* Start early and plan continuously

* Develop a formal succession plan

* Involve senior leadership

* Identify key positions and skills

* Assess the talent

* Invest in professional development

* Conduct regular assessments and reviews of the succession plan