Mentorship has played a pivotal role in Lawrence Krimker's award-winning business career, guiding his journey from his start as a young entrepreneur to his multiple current roles as a founder, CEO, board member, and investor. Mentorship can come in many forms and Krimker says good leaders approach see every leadership relationship an opportunity to teach and to learn. He believes effective mentorship can be a two-way street, offering insights not just from the top down, but also from the bottom up, within teams.
Learning from Mentors: Lifelong Lessons in Leadership
Krimker’s approach to leadership has been shaped as much by his own experiences as by the lessons he’s gathered from mentors he’s had throughout his life and career. He believes a good mentor should provide honest, sometimes tough feedback, as candidness leads to true growth. He’s leaned on mentors to support him in many facets of his growth — through business setbacks, big investment decisions, and family life, among others.
Some of the most important business lessons Krimker has learned from his mentors are: the value of patience, trusting his instincts, the power of listening without reacting, and to believe in the process and not chase quick wins. By watching and counselling with mentors about handling complex situations, Krimker has been able to refine his leadership approach. He believes leaders who actively seek mentorship can benefit from valuable insights that have been hard-earned through others’ experiences.
Leadership as a Reciprocal Relationship: Learning from Employees
Krimker advocates for a two-way mentorship dynamic that goes both ways, no matter whether it’s a formal or an informal arrangement. Every professional relationship is a chance to develop. While leaders certainly share their expertise with team members, he believes they should also remain open to learning from employees. This two-way mentorship enables leaders to gain fresh perspectives, especially in rapidly changing industries. From junior employees with new ideas to seasoned team members with niche expertise, Krimker values the contributions and insights that every team member can provide.
He notes that employees often have direct knowledge of customers' and stakeholders' needs, allowing them to offer valuable insights that leaders might not see from their vantage point. When employees feel encouraged to share ideas, it creates a collaborative environment where everyone feels invested in the company’s success. Lawrence Krimker advises leaders to regularly connect with their team members, to build open, trusting relationships that allow for insights to be shared.
Choosing Between Formal and Informal Mentorship
Both formal and informal mentorship offer valuable benefits, Krimker says. Formal mentorship programs can provide structure, ensuring that employees receive guidance on specific skill-building goals. For new hires, formal mentoring relationships can help them acclimate to a company’s culture and expectations, for example. Krimker recommends structured mentoring for roles where there is a clear progression path or where specialized knowledge transfer is needed.
However, Krimker believes that informal mentorship often yields the most organic and impactful connections. When people feel comfortable approaching each other without the constraints of a structured program, they might be more likely to engage in honest, open conversations that build trust and confidence. He says the most meaningful mentorships in his life have often been informal — those who offered guidance during spontaneous, authentic conversations rather than in structured settings. He values these relationships because they allow for genuine connection and a real exchange of ideas without hierarchy.
In Krimker’s experience, both types of mentorship can complement each other, with formal programs providing a strong foundation and informal interactions bringing flexibility and authenticity. By promoting both forms, leaders can create a supportive culture that encourages continuous learning and development across the board.
Creating a Mentorship Culture
Mentorship shouldn’t be a one-off experience or limited to a few people in the organization. The right workplace culture can encourages employees at all levels to feel comfortable and confident seeking and sharing knowledge that can ultimately support one another’s development.
Creating this mentorship culture requires commitment from leadership. Leaders should set the example by being open to feedback and demonstrating a willingness to learn from their peers and employees. By embracing mentorship and showing appreciation for others’ insights, leaders can encourage everyone within the organization to adopt the same attitude.
Final Thoughts: Mentorship as an Ongoing Journey
For Krimker, mentorship is not a box to be checked off but an ongoing journey, one that evolves over the course of a career. The mentee may become the mentor in time, but the dynamics can be fluid. Leaders should view mentorship as an essential part of their role, not only to shape the next generation of leaders but to continue their own growth as well. By staying open to learning from mentors, colleagues, and employees alike, leaders can cultivate an adaptive, empathetic approach to leadership. For Krimker, this continuous exchange of knowledge and support is what makes leadership both impactful and fulfilling.
