This episode of Connected Leadership Bytes, originally featured as a guest interview on the Kwame Christian podcast "Negotiate Anything," features Andy Lopata, professional relationship strategist, author of "The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring," and host of the Connected Leadership" podcast. Andy shares his insights on the importance of building and leveraging professional relationships, and particularly the role of mentoring. Andy argues that building a strong network of mentors is essential for career growth, citing research that shows performance accounts for only 10% of promotion decisions, while image and exposure account for 30% and 60% respectively. He defines mentoring as a relationship where someone with experience and expertise in a particular area helps guide another individual towards their goals. He explores the different types of mentoring relationships, including formal and informal, traditional, reverse, and peer-to-peer. Andy emphasises the importance of both formal and informal mentoring relationships, advocating for creating a diverse "mentoring team" for optimal support. Andy also discusses the differences between mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring, highlighting the key distinction: mentors know, while coaches explore. He stresses the importance of using coaching techniques to help mentees develop independent solutions, rather than simply offering advice. The episode concludes with Andy sharing valuable insights on the skills needed for effective mentoring, highlighting the importance of humility, commitment, and independent thought for both mentors and mentees. Key Takeaways: Mentoring is essential for career advancement, influencing image and exposure more than performance. Mentoring can take many forms, including formal, informal, traditional, reverse, and peer-to-peer. Good mentors use coaching techniques to help mentees develop independent solutions. Humility and mutual respect are vital for both mentors and mentees. Vulnerability builds trust and encourages open communication in the mentoring relationship. Mentees should be prepared to contribute actively, set goals, and make independent decisions.   SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE Connect with Andy Lopata: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube Connect with Kwame Christian: Website |LinkedIn |Instagram | YouTube Listen to the full episode of this podcast The Financial Times Guide to Mentoring