He who learns, teaches: The power of mentorship at work

“He who learns, teaches.” — Ethiopian Proverb

In many African communities, learning is not a selfish act. Knowledge, once gained, must be passed on. Skills, once mastered, must be shared. This Ethiopian proverb encapsulates a timeless truth: growth is communal. In organisations today, this wisdom remains as urgent as ever. Learning without teaching is a wasted opportunity: for individuals, for teams, and for entire enterprises.

Mentorship in the workplace is more than a nice-to-have. It is a critical mechanism for preserving institutional memory, accelerating leadership development, fostering loyalty, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement. Organisations that systematise mentorship not only strengthen their current workforce; they future-proof their leadership pipeline.

Yet in Nigeria’s fast-paced corporate environment, mentorship often falls by the wayside. Senior leaders are pressed for time. Middle managers juggle expanding KPIs. Junior employees are left to “figure it out” through trial and error. Formal mentorship programmes, where they exist, are sometimes reduced to ceremonial pairings with little substance or follow-up.

Read also: Insuring the Future: Leadership Beyond Premiums

The costs of neglecting mentorship are significant. Talent retention suffers when employees feel unsupported in their growth. Succession planning falters when future leaders are not groomed systematically. Organisational culture weakens when lessons learned by one generation are not transferred to the next.

Effective mentorship is not ad hoc; it is strategic. It must be embedded into HR frameworks, leadership expectations, and performance evaluations. Senior leaders must see mentoring as part of their legacy, not as an optional burden. Middle managers must be equipped with coaching skills, not just operational targets. New hires must experience mentorship as a norm, not a privilege.

A robust mentorship culture rests on a few key pillars.

First, intentionality. Mentors and mentees must be matched thoughtfully based on developmental needs, career aspirations, and learning styles. Random pairings rarely succeed. Organisations should use structured intake forms, preference surveys, and personality assessments to inform matching.

“However, the broader adoption of mentorship in Nigeria faces cultural hurdles. Traditional deference to hierarchy sometimes discourages open dialogue between juniors and seniors.”

Second, structure. Successful mentoring relationships benefit from clear goals, agreed-upon meeting cadences, confidentiality agreements, and evaluation milestones. Loose, undefined arrangements tend to fizzle out. HR teams should provide toolkits to support mentoring conversations—guiding questions, feedback frameworks, and progress trackers.

Third, reciprocity. While mentors impart wisdom, mentees offer fresh perspectives, technological savviness, and cultural insights. The best mentorships are mutual learning journeys, not one-way lectures.

Fourth, recognition. Mentorship must be valued visibly within the organisation. Mentors should be acknowledged in performance reviews, leadership pipelines, and internal communications. Celebrating successful mentorship stories inspires others to participate.

Technology can also enhance mentorship, especially in geographically dispersed teams. Virtual mentorship platforms, video check-ins, and online communities enable learning relationships to flourish beyond physical proximity. But digital tools should augment, not replace, human connection.

Cross-generational mentorship is particularly valuable. In Nigeria’s workforce today, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z employees coexist—with different expectations, communication styles, and values. Structured mentoring across generations can bridge gaps, transfer wisdom, and promote mutual understanding.

Reverse mentoring is another emerging practice worth embracing. Junior employees mentor senior leaders on emerging technologies, youth culture, and social trends. This approach not only empowers younger talent but keeps leadership attuned to external realities.

Read also: ARM names new CEO in leadership reshuffle as firm eyes growth

Importantly, mentorship must align with broader organisational goals. It should support leadership development pipelines, diversity and inclusion efforts, succession planning, and cultural integration during mergers or expansions. Mentorship is not an isolated HR initiative; it is a lever for strategic advantage.

There are already promising examples. Leading firms in banking, professional services, and oil and gas sectors in Nigeria have begun to formalise mentorship programmes linked to talent acceleration academies. Multinationals with Nigerian operations are integrating mentorship into onboarding and leadership tracks. Startups are leveraging advisory boards and peer mentoring circles to scale founder learning curves.

However, the broader adoption of mentorship in Nigeria faces cultural hurdles. Traditional deference to hierarchy sometimes discourages open dialogue between juniors and seniors. Fear of exposing ignorance or vulnerability can hinder authentic conversations. Organisations must therefore train mentors and mentees alike in trust-building, active listening, and constructive feedback.

At a national level, mentorship ecosystems need strengthening too. Professional associations, universities, and government agencies should promote cross-sector mentorship programmes to close the skills gap between education and employment. Alumni networks should facilitate mentorship between graduates and seasoned professionals. Public sector leaders must mentor emerging administrators to ensure continuity of governance and institutional memory.

The African proverb challenges each of us individually as well. To learn is to teach. To receive is to give. Each employee, at every stage of their career, has something to offer someone else. Peer mentoring, buddy systems, skills-sharing workshops—all are manifestations of this ethic.

For organisations that want to build learning cultures, mentorship is not a side project. It is a way of being. It is the recognition that every employee is both a student and a teacher, both an apprentice and a custodian of knowledge.

Read also: Nigeria’s leadership needs emotional intelligence: Beyond brains, with heart

And in a world where skills become obsolete faster than ever, the organisations that thrive will not be those that hoard knowledge, but those that cultivate a living, breathing cycle of learning and teaching.

Because in the end, what we pass on matters as much as what we achieve. Wisdom hoarded dies with its holder. Wisdom shared multiplies.

The true legacy of leadership is not titles, profits, or accolades. It is the growth of others.

Dr. Olufemi Ogunlowo is CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited and writes on leadership development, learning organisations, and workforce transformation for BusinessDay.