Use metrics to determine a mentorship program’s return on investment.

First Lessons, Lasting Insights Nearly all of us have stories of advice given by the mom or mother figure in our lives. In Leadership Lessons for Any Occasion: Stories of Our Mothers, executive coaches and authors Ed and Nila Betof have collected stories from a wide range of leaders, teachers, coaches, and talent development professionals about how their mothers guided their paths to helping others lead resourceful, meaningful lives.

Building and launching mentoring programs can seem daunting. Yet despite the initial challenges, mentoring programs are increasing in popularity, with more than two-thirds of top executives reporting to have a mentor.

A looming leadership gap faces most organizations over the next 10 years. As Cynthia D. McCauley of the Center for Creative Leadership notes in her overview, leadership is also a tool designed to help with a particular human dilemma: how to get individuals to work together effectively to produce collective outcomes.