Mentoring and Coaching In Adults

This blog continues the discussion of leadership throughout each age. In this blog, I will argue how each stage; including children, teenagers, and young adults, come to a head in adulthood as Coaches and Mentors. Adulthood, ages 31 and up, allows people to utilize the skills that have been built over their lifetime. In order to successfully coach and mentor others, adults need to have perfected certain leadership skills. For example, these skills can (but are not limited to) emotional intelligence, breaking away from authority and finding passions and strengths, and perfecting their decision making skills. These characteristics ultimately set adult leaders up for success when mentoring others. I will discuss coaching and mentoring in adulthood, society’s view of a typical leader, and different types of coaches and mentors.

First, mentoring capabilities are built for successful people. In other words, only people who are successful, competent, and capable are fit to be coaches and mentors to others. For example, “…mentoring adults with the end goal of fostering leadership in educational and organizational spaces.” (Wlodarsky, p. 21). Corporations, families, and more choose those who can build up (or coach) others to be better than they are. This leadership skill is only possible in adulthood after they have practiced their other leadership characteristics throughout their lifetime. Who would want an adult coach that does not know what they are talking about? We chose, as a society, those are successful leaders to begin with. With the support of these competent coaches and mentors, “A reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship is formed in which the mentor and mentee grow as people and leaders within an organization.” (Wlodarsky, p. 21). Not only does the mentor help the mentee, but vice versa.

In today’s society, we picture a ‘typical leader’ as a successful adult, and this only. We do not imagine a child to show leadership of their emotions and we do not assume a teenager as anything more than sometime who disrespectfully defies authority. Instead, society pictures a leader who has confidence in themselves, exudes emotional intelligence and self efficacy, and is prosperous. I ask you, is a leader built in a day? In adulthood? I argue the answer is absolutely not. Leadership is shown at each age, and should be respected as such.

Different types of coaches and mentors include, but are not limited to, job coaches, corporate mentors, sports coaches, spiritual mentors, and personal life mentors. They are found in almost every aspect of life! People seeking guidance often rely on these adult leaders. They are so necessary, “ …A community's well‐being is dependent on the ability of individual members to be proficient at a variety of tasks, ranging from those needed to maintain a family household to those related to being a satisfied and productive employee. At the core of community well‐being is the additional aspect of being willing and able to share that expertise with fellow community members.” (Rhodes, p. 33).

All in all, the typical idea of an adult leader is necessary for the betterment and growth of society as a whole. In addition, mentors and coaches would simply not be possible without the foundation of leadership capabilities throughout the lifetime. Once again, leadership is not built over night, but over a lifetime.

References

Wlodarsky, R., & Carr‐Chellman, D. (2020). Cultivating leadership in adult and continuing education: Developing adults using reflection within mentoring experiences. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2020(167-168), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20395

Rhodes, C. M., & Hands, A. S. (2020). Student engagement for enhancing mentoring and leadership development in Adult Basic Education and literacy programs. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2020(167-168), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20396