Mentorship

Abstract

According to the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management, an effective service leader serves as a mentor for his/her followers. Besides promoting followers’ professional and personal growth, mentoring also contributes to the development of service leaders themselves. In this chapter, a lecture addressing the concept and functions of mentoring as well as its relationship with service leadership are outlined. The professional and psychosocial functions of mentoring to service leaders and followers and ways to promote mentoring in service leadership are highlighted. Students are also encouraged to reflect on the potential damages and harmful effects of mentoring in the leader-follower relationship.