Mentoring: Walking Beside One Another

Every stage of life brings new questions.

Some arrive as we begin our careers. Others come when we change professions, move to a new community, take on leadership, retire, or discover that the path we expected is no longer the one before us.

At each of these moments, having someone who listens, asks thoughtful questions, and shares experience without taking away our independence can make all the difference.

It is therefore with great enthusiasm that I begin serving as Chair of the NFBPWC Mentoring Standing Committee. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with members across our organization as we continue building a mentoring culture that encourages confidence, curiosity, and lifelong learning.

During the past 18 months, I have had the privilege of mentoring twenty-seven individuals directly and many others through workshops, conversations, and collaborative projects. One lesson has become very clear: mentoring is never about creating followers. It is about helping people become the authors of their own lives.

A mentor does not provide all the answers.

Nor is mentoring about finding someone a job, opening every door, or solving every problem.

While mentors may sometimes introduce opportunities or share their networks, the true purpose of mentoring is much deeper. It is to help another person better understand themselves, recognize their strengths, navigate periods of change, and make thoughtful decisions about the direction they wish to take.

Good mentoring asks questions before offering advice.

It encourages reflection before action.

It builds confidence rather than dependence.

Most importantly, it reminds people that while others can illuminate the path, each individual must ultimately choose and walk it for themselves.

I also believe that mentoring flourishes through intergenerational conversation.

Every generation brings something valuable. Those with experience carry lessons learned through success, failure, resilience, and perseverance. Younger generations contribute fresh perspectives, new technologies, different cultural experiences, and the willingness to challenge assumptions that no longer serve us. When these perspectives meet with mutual respect, both mentor and mentee grow.

Mentoring is therefore never a one-way exchange. It is a partnership built on listening, trust, curiosity, and shared learning.

As we look toward the coming biennium, one of my goals is to strengthen mentoring throughout NFBPWC by supporting both mentors and mentees. We will explore practical approaches to mentoring, discuss what makes mentoring relationships successful, and provide guidance for those who are mentoring for the first time as well as those seeking a mentor.

Equally important, we will explore what it means to be an active mentee. Successful mentoring requires commitment from both people. Curiosity, openness to feedback, thoughtful preparation, and a willingness to act on new insights are just as important as the experience a mentor brings.

One idea has guided my own mentoring for many years. Life asks each of us to balance two worlds: the realm of dreams and the realm of the possible.

Dreams inspire us to imagine what might be. Practical wisdom helps us understand the steps required to get there. Effective mentoring does not ask people to abandon either. Instead, it helps them build the bridge between aspiration and action, encouraging them to pursue meaningful goals while remaining grounded in thoughtful planning, resilience, and continuous learning.

That bridge looks different for every individual, because every journey is unique.

As we begin this new committee together, I invite every member of NFBPWC to consider becoming part of our mentoring community—whether as a mentor, a mentee, or, as is often the case, both. Each of us has something to learn, and each of us has something to share.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this role. I look forward to working with you as we continue building a mentoring culture that strengthens individuals, enriches our organization, and empowers women to navigate change with confidence, purpose, and hope.

Together, let us continue walking beside one another as we build the next generation of leaders.

Nermin K. Ahmad
Chair Mentoring
mentoring@NFBPWC.org