The Importance of Mentorship

A mentor plays a pivotal role in the development and ongoing success of a chief medical officer. CMOs are tasked with overseeing the complex clinical operations of an organization and thus must be equipped with both a strong clinical background and the acumen and gravitas to lead and cultivate an effective team.

While most CMOs feel comfortable in their clinical practice environment, stepping into a fully administrative role will be a significant change. As a new CMO, you will need to understand organizational culture, navigate a new and potentially challenging physician landscape, build trust with your team and physician colleagues, and learn how to prioritize local and corporate initiatives.

No textbook or course will give you the practical tools to execute effectively and build your organizational identity and professional reputation as a CMO. A mentor can help you navigate this transition with grace and confidence. This chapter explores the critical importance of mentorship for aspiring and current CMOs and provides practical tools to help you identify a mentor and develop a productive mentor-mentee relationship.

The noun mentor was first defined in 1616 and originated from the character of Mentor in Homer’s The Odyssey. For those of us who may benefit from a Greek history refresher, Odysseus, the King of Ithica, entrusted his young son Telemachus to the care of Mentor, his trusted companion, when he left to lead his army. Mentor was charged with keeping the household undisturbed as well as influencing Telemachus to help him achieve his full potential.

Unfortunately, Odysseus put his trust in the wrong man. Mentor failed to keep the household safe. Multiple suitors lusted after Queen Penelope, Telemachus’ mother, in Odysseus’ absence. The suitors ate their food, killed their animals, and plotted to kill Telemachus in an effort to seize the family estate. Fortunately, Zeus sent Athena who assumed the form of Mentor and offered Telemachus support and guidance in his father’s absence. Athena encouraged Telemachus to speak out against Penelope’s suitors and arranged a ship to take Telemachus to safety. Their interactions in The Odyssey represent one of the earliest forms of mentorship.

The power of mentorship has been studied extensively and it’s clear that mentors and mentees benefit from a successful mentorship relationship. In a recent article published by Forbes, surveys of more than 3,000 working professionals concluded that 76% of them believe that a mentor is important to professional growth, yet more than 54% do not have a mentor.(1)

While some organizations have structured mentoring pathways, many do not. As such, it is essential that CMOs are equipped with the tools to identify suitable mentors and develop productive mentoring relationships. Mentors support the personal and professional growth of their mentees and have been shown to improve resiliency and reduce burnout.

I recall vividly while I was away at a conference with my CMO, Dr. Paula Verrette, I asked her why she was so invested in my development. She replied with “A mentor sees something in a person that they do not yet see in themselves.” Her thoughtful and radically candid approach to mentorship benefited many aspiring physician leaders.

WHAT IS A MENTOR?

In the simplest of terms, a mentor is a trusted advisor — typically a professional with more experience than their mentee and someone who is willing to share their expertise to help the mentee grow personally and/or professionally. A mentor is usually not your direct supervisor and may even be someone from another organization. They want you to succeed and are willing to invest time and personal capital to guide you on your path.

A mentor recognizes your strengths and is candid with you about your opportunities. They have the organizational “know-how” and are willing to share it. They have a vested interest in your success and understand that mentorship is a partnership.

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and one of the top-rated professors whom I had the benefit of learning from during my MBA journey at The Wharton School of Business. Grant summarized it best: “Bad mentors see you as building their brand. They take credit for your success. Great mentors see you as a younger version of themselves. They help you follow in their footsteps. Great mentors see your potential to be a better version of yourself. They help you find your path.”

I was very fortunate to benefit from having a great mentor and I hope that this chapter will inspire and motivate you to identify a great mentor as you begin your journey to a rewarding career as a chief medical officer.

WHAT IS MENTORING?

A mentor-mentee relationship is built on a foundation of trust, respect, and a mutual willingness to learn and teach. Mentoring is a development process that is meant to advance the mentee personally and professionally. Mentors share knowledge, open their networks, and often help develop the “softer” skills of leadership.

A mentor is a resource who can often provide guidance in a challenging situation, someone who can help you learn the culture of organization and understand what is left unsaid during a meeting. A mentor can help you learn how to read a room and know when to listen and when to speak. There is no textbook, course, or formal degree that can provide the same insight that a willing mentor is able to offer a mentee.

Mentoring is not a replacement for formal development. While you may gain additional expertise in quality or medical staff operations from your mentor, this is not the purpose of mentorship. To be an effective CMO, you must invest in your own professional development.

A mentor may be able to advise you on useful conferences or resources to expand your fund of knowledge in the quality or regulatory landscape. You should not hesitate to ask your mentor for advice if you feel that you have a knowledge gap and would benefit from additional training. In fact, my mentor was key in my decision to pursue an MBA.

Your mentor is not meant to be your educator but can certainly help augment your learning. A mentor is an excellent resource when looking for guidance on how to navigate an organizational challenge, deal with a difficult physician, or become familiar with the unwritten rules when navigating a complex organization.

A mentoring relationship should be structured from the perspective of cadence and accountability. As noted in the subsequent sections, setting regular mentoring meetings is essential for keeping momentum. Life will get busy as a CMO and multiple priorities will inevitably compete for your time. If your mentor is available and you had the time scheduled with them, do not reschedule. Honor the commitment you made to yourself and to your mentor. Use the time to discuss real scenarios that occurred to see if there is an opportunity for you to do something better or differently in the future. Ask your mentor how they may have addressed something similar. If you are looking for professional growth opportunities, ask your mentor how to gain exposure to them and what you may need to improve upon or learn in order to take that next step.

DEFINING THE BENEFITS OF A MENTOR RELATIONSHIP

Before seeking a mentor, complete an honest inventory of self-acknowledged strengths, opportunities, and specific career goals. Mentorship can be successful only if the mentee is their authentic self during the process. Spend the time understanding your own why before soliciting the help of a potential mentor.

Many find that this exercise is valuable in more ways than just helping in your mentorship journey. Carving out dedicated self-exploration time is essential as you build your professional identity. As an executive leadership coach, I spend time with my clients exploring these topics which have the potential to transform their leadership journey if they are honest with themselves in the process.

The following five questions can serve as a roadmap. Consider writing out your responses, as you may be surprised by the power of honesty in this exercise.

1. What are my strengths?

   • Am I confident leading others? Why or why not?

   • Do I have a strategic mindset?

   • How comfortable am I with operationalizing a project?

   • What is the depth and breadth of my expertise in quality, performance improvement, and medical staff?

2. What are the functional skills that I need to develop?

   • Have I managed a challenging physician in partnership with a medical executive committee? What about with legal counsel?

   • How comfortable am I with clinical and operational data analysis?

   • Do I feel confident managing, mentoring and coaching other physicians into leadership roles?

   • How comfortable am I with typical managerial functions — hiring, coaching for improvement, terminations?

   • What is my expertise in quality, regulatory and medical staff operations?

3. What do I enjoy?

   • What brings meaning to my day?

   • What brings joy to my day?

   • What is my personal leadership philosophy?

4. Where do I want to be in One year? Three years? Five years?

   • Short term: What does success as a CMO look like to me?

   • Near term: Do I aspire for local and regional growth opportunities?

   • Long term: Do I plan to continue in the CMO track or pivot?

5. What are my personal and professional definitions of success? This was my mentor’s favorite question to ask. It is likely that your personal and professional definitions of success will change over time. Be specific here. This is a much more challenging question to answer than you realize.

   • What does success look like for me?

   • How are my definitions of success similar?

CLARIFYING WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

Behind every great leader is a team of people who helped them succeed. Many executive leaders point to a mentor, a coach, a sponsor, or even all three who helped them navigate unchartered territory.

Important career decisions are often made in a room where you are not present. While you may in fact be the best candidate, the most talented, hardest working leader within an organization, there may come a time when that does not inevitably translate to a promotion. Having a sponsor in the room where the decision is being made can contribute positively to your success within many organizations.

A sponsor is someone who will vouch for you, for your professional skill set, your attitude, your thoughtfulness, and use their currency on your behalf. They have a personal stake in your success. Look for those individuals who have a seat at the table when important decisions are being made. Build a relationship, share your why, and be direct in your ask of how they can help you on your journey.

A coach has a very different role than a mentor or a sponsor. They can be helpful at any point in your career, as the most seasoned and talented leaders benefit from ongoing coaching.

A coach is a trained professional who can help you examine a situation through a different lens. They can serve as a neutral sounding board to help you reframe your thoughts and partner with you to set and achieve goals that are meaningful to you. Organizations often offer executive leadership coaching for new leaders. Ask your leader or HR team about potential opportunities for coaching through your company.

Many new C-suite leaders use the terms mentor, coach and sponsor interchangeably. However, the respective roles serve quite different functions and it is essential that as a CMO you are aware of the differences so that you can solicit the right type of development pathway to optimize your personal and professional success.

HOW TO FIND A MENTOR

On your journey, you will meet many individuals who hold executive roles and have great influence within an organization but may not embody your vision of leadership. It is unlikely that these individuals will add value to you by serving you as a mentor.

Look for someone who has held a similar role to the one you currently hold or aspire to have as a next step in your professional journey. Identify someone who has a passion for sharing stories and, most importantly, who seems trustworthy.

While it may be easy to reach out to your regional CMO and ask them to be a mentor, consider finding someone who is not in your reporting structure. Your manager has a duty to fulfill the requirements of the organization and your personal and professional development may not be their top priority. It may also be challenging to be vulnerable and authentic with your manager, depending on the culture of the organization.

If you are joining a new health system, consider finding a seasoned CMO within the system. They can provide practical institutional knowledge that may be hard to decode as a new executive. Other options may include identifying another C-suite leader such as a chief nursing officer or chief operating officer. Check with your human resources team to see if the organization has a structured mentorship program to connect you with a suitable mentor.

You may consider networking outside of your organization through platforms like LinkedIn or Doximity. Start by identifying individuals with the appropriate title who share a mutual connection with you. Before reaching out to them directly, check with your connection to see if this is someone whom they believe would be willing and able to serve as a mentor to you.

MAKING THE ASK

Asking someone to be your mentor involves a thoughtful and respectful approach. Be considerate of their time by learning more about your potential mentor’s background in advance of the discussion. Come prepared, as you will set the tone for the possibility of a future relationship.

Do your homework in advance of the meeting.

• What roles has this individual held?

• What is their educational background?

• How long have they been with their organization(s)?

Identify the reasons you believe this individual would serve as a great mentor.

• What specific skills can this mentor help me develop?

• What other individuals are within this person’s network who may be a mutually beneficial contact?

• What can I offer this mentor as part of our relationship?

Once you are able to clearly articulate the above, synthesize your ask and reach out to your potential mentor(s). Ask for some time to meet with them in-person, if possible. Identify a location that is low-key and convenient for your mentor. Engage them in an informal way to build rapport and gauge compatibility.

Be clear and concise in your ask of why you are looking for a mentor. Why do you believe they may be a good fit, and what specifically are you hoping to accomplish by partnering with them? Be prepared for the possibility that they may decline due to time constraints or other commitments. If they decline, express gratitude for their time and remain open to future interactions or advice.

If they agree, thank them and follow-up with a thank you over email. Identify the appropriate time frame for your next meeting and set it up. It is important to note, that while we spent part of this chapter discussing how to make the ask, more than 60% of mentor relationships develop naturally without any formal ask.1Thus, always place value on relationship building, as many mentorships evolve in an informal environment.

YOUR FIRST MEETING

The most important part of a mentoring relationship is a concerted effort by the mentee to build a relationship with the mentor. Your mentor is giving you the gift of time and you should honor that by making the best use of your time together.

1. Set the tone by cultivating a foundation for a trusting relationship. Share more about your background. Share your self-identified strengths and areas of opportunity. Allow your mentor to have an opportunity to share more about themselves and their ambitions. Get to know them as a person, not just an employee with a title in the organization.

2. Set expectations with your mentor. Remind them what you hope to learn and gain from the mentoring relationship and ask them what they expect of you in the process. Set the ground rules for your engagement (i.e., candor, confidentiality, authenticity, follow-up frequency).

3. See if there is an opportunity for you to help your mentor in the process, as the best mentoring relationships add value to both parties. As a mentee, be thoughtful of trying to create a symbiotic relationship. Is there a project you can take the lead on that can provide value to your mentor? Is there an opportunity to recognize your mentor within the organization for their time and commitment? Is there someone within your network who may benefit your mentor through an introduction? More on this topic in the section on reverse mentoring.

Always end the conversation with an action plan that you are going to work on in advance of your next meeting. This will keep you accountable to yourself and your mentor in the process.

A STRUCTURED ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS

Consider creating a documented mentoring plan that you can use as a reference throughout the mentorship relationship. This is an accountability plan for you, not your mentor. Mentorship has the power to transform your personal and professional trajectory if you are willing to take a risk. This may mean getting out of your comfort zone as a leader by taking on a new project, challenging the status quo, or learning to listen for understanding and not for framing a response.

Keep notes of what you worked on between mentoring sessions and consider following up with your mentor to share the progress you are making. Your mentor will certainly appreciate that their time has been well spent. Remember, your mentor may become a sponsor or help recruit a sponsor for you. Genuine gratitude is always appreciated and true leaders find that developing others brings great meaning to their lives.

WHAT ABOUT REVERSE MENTORING?

“Mentoring is not a transfer of wisdom from one to another. It’s a relationship where two people grow together.”(2) Great mentors are also passionate learners. As discussed earlier, a mentorship relationship is built on trust, authenticity, and vulnerability. As a mentee you have the opportunity to share insights that will help a mentor and an organization grow.

Reverse mentoring occurs when a mentee is able to provide insights to a more senior mentor on various topics of strategic and cultural relevance. The benefits of reverse mentoring have been well described in the literature and are an opportunity for progressive organizations to recognize the value of a well-defined mentorship program. The four main benefits of reverse mentoring noted by Jordan and Sorell in their Harvard Business Review article(3) are:

1. Increased retention of millennials: Senior executives have learned about the value and importance of establishing connections and demonstrating appreciation for their teams.

2. Sharing of digital skills: Mentees are often younger and more adept at social media and technology. Considering the profound impact of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, healthcare organizations and mentors have the potential to benefit tremendously from their more tech savvy mentees.

3. Driving cultural change: Reverse mentoring has been shown to help senior executives understand what is important to their teams. I recall one of the keynote speakers at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement who referenced changing the conversation from “What’s the matter?” to “What matters to you?” Getting to the heart of what matters to team members and fellow colleagues allows for necessary culture change.

4. Promoting diversity: Diverse viewpoints are essential to advancing healthcare into the future. Reverse mentoring gives credibility to diverse voices in the room and can help mentees get a seat at the proverbial table. We need the diversity of thought, the diversity of talent, and the diversity of people to propel our organizations forward.

As a mentee, look for opportunities for reverse mentorship with your mentor. Furthermore, as you progress in your career, you will find opportunities to mentor others. I hope that you will embrace the chance to help someone else on their journey and find personal and professional satisfaction in the process.

THE TOP FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY MENTOR

1. Get to know people as people: Fundamentally, we are all human. Whether you have fellow physicians on your team or non-clinical administrators, we all have a desire to be known and add value. Find out what is important to others and build intentional relationships. When your colleagues feel understood, they become less defensive and open to feedback. Your relationships will carry you further than you may realize in your role as a CMO.

2. Never eat lunch alone: I have walked past many administrative offices at lunch and witness leaders eating alone at their desk. While we all have competing priorities, take the 15-30 minutes to intentionally engage with others over a meal. I have learned more about why quality initiatives succeed or fail in the doctor’s dining room than in most formal meetings.

3. If you sit quietly and listen, people will tell you everything you need to know. I used to joke that my CMO’s office was a cross between a therapy room and a confessional. At the time, I didn’t understand why others divulged so much information. However, as I progressed on my own journey, I appreciated the value of being an active listener and listening to understand not to speak.

4. You can be right, or you can be successful. As a CMO, your goal is not to be right and to prove your point. Your goal is to foster clinical and operational excellence through your leadership and influence. Focus on the end goal of success, not on proving a point.

5. Just be excellent. In everything that you do, focus on excellence. Bring your best to every situation and know that you are in the role because you have the expertise and organizational trust to do the work. Find others who will help you and mentor you on your journey to excellence.

Chief medical officers provide tremendous value to organizations by creating environments that foster collaboration in an effort to deliver clinical and operational excellence. Historically, the journey to the C-suite for physicians has been through the medical staff ranks with chairmanships and directorships. While those skills have tremendous value, the CMO of today is truly a strategic partner to the C-suite. The role is no longer simply focused on quality and medical staff but has transcended into the business and clinical operations realm. All CMOs can benefit from mentors who can provide them guidance and help them navigate the complexities of today’s healthcare landscape.

Excerpted from I Want to Be a Chief Medical Officer: Now What? (American Association for Physician Leadership, 2024)

REFERENCES

1. Comaford C. 76% of People Think Mentors Are Important, But Only 37% Have One. Forbes. July 3, 2019.

2. Grant A. The Three Big Myths of Mentoring. TED Podcast. October 17, 2023.

3. Jordan J, Sorell M. Why Reverse Mentoring Works and How to Do It Right. Harvard Business Review. October 3, 2019.