WRITTEN BY DR. MIRELLA DE CIVITA

Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship, and mentorships are no different. It takes time and effort to build trust, but the rewards are well worth it. Here are three key actions that can help you create a trusting and lasting mentoring relationship:

1. Be Real with Each Other

Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and open communication.

• For Mentors: Listen carefully to your mentee without interrupting or judging. Remember, this is their story, not yours.
• For Mentees: Be brave and share your thoughts and goals. Be open to learning and feedback.

2. Share Experiences, Challenges, and All

Your experiences, both good and bad, can help your mentee.

• For Mentors: Don’t hide the challenges you faced. Share how you overcame them.
• For Mentees: Pay attention to your mentor’s challenges and think about how you might handle similar situations.

3. Challenge Each Other

Growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones.

• For Mentors: Give your mentee assignments that push them to face their fears and grow.
• For Mentees: Don’t be afraid to ask your mentor for what you need. Maybe they’re sharing too much or not listening enough.

Building trust takes time and effort, but it’s the most important thing you can do to create a successful mentoring relationship.

Here are some additional tips for building trust in a mentoring relationship:

• Be reliable and consistent. If you say you’re going to do something, do it.
• Be respectful of each other’s time. Don’t be late for meetings or cancel them at the last minute.
• Be honest and transparent. Don’t be afraid to share your true thoughts and feelings.
• Be supportive and encouraging. Let your mentee know that you believe in them.
• Be patient. Trust takes time to build.

Mentoring relationships can be a great way to learn and grow. By following these tips, you can create a trusting and supportive relationship that will benefit both you and your mentee.

WRITTEN BY DR. MIRELLA DE CIVITA

⇧⇧⇧ LISTEN TO THIS QUICK TAKE ⇧⇧⇧

The Importance of Trust in Executive Teams

For an executive team to function effectively, trust and open communication are essential. However, the inherent conflict between representing a Business Unit (BU) and advocating or the organization can lead to hesitation, withholding opinions, and lack of transparency.

The Risks of a Divided Executive Team

When executives feel pressured to suppress their perspectives:

• Critical insights may be lost, leading to uninformed decision-making.
• Fear of repercussions can prevent open discussions.
• Mistrust may grow within the executive team, hindering collaboration.

Creating a Culture of Open Dialogue

To promote a more effective executive team, leaders should:

• Accept the duality of their roles rather than ignoring it.
• Speak candidly about their BU’s perspective while remaining open to broader organization considerations.
• Build trust by facilitating fact-based discussion rather than defending predetermines viewpoints.

Encouraging Cross-BU Collaboration

A high-functioning executive team ensures the free flow of information across departments. This can be achieved by:

• Promoting access to diverse teams for idea-sharing and problem-solving.
• Encouraging curiosity-driven discussions rather than adversarial debates.
• Establishing a shared understanding of organization priorities and goals.

Final Thoughts

By embracing the inherent challenges of executive leadership and prioritizing trust and collaboration, organizations can strengthen their leadership teams. Open communication and a commitment to organizational success over individual BU interests pave the way for long-term growth and innovation.

Each month, we challenge leaders and coaches with a thought-provoking “Quick Take” question. We asked Eddie Turner —keynote speaker, executive coach, best-selling author, and host of the Keep Leading!® Podcast and Keep Leading!® Live (among other noteworthy accomplishments), to share his thoughts.

WRITTEN BY DR. MIRELLA DE CIVITA

🔊 LISTEN TO THIS “QUICK TAKE” ARTICLE ⇧⇧⇧

In a world that never stops demanding our attention, our ability to focus on what truly matters is one of our most valuable yet underutilized resources (Brown, 2022). Every day we are bombarded with information, responsibilities, and expectations, pulling us in countless directions. But what if the key to personal fulfillment and integrity lies in something as simple—and as challenging—as paying attention?

Integrity isn’t just about honesty; it’s about alignment between who we are and who we want to be. That alignment requires presence. Often, we are stuck in the past, reliving mistakes, or consumed by anxieties about the future. But true integrity asks us to live in the here and now, making conscious choices that reflect our deepest values.

Training our attention isn’t about meditation alone—though it can certainly help. It’s about intentionally directing our focus toward the present moment, observing our thoughts without being controlled by them. When we do this, we gain clarity. We begin to see ourselves and others more fully, beyond surface-level judgments (Stuntzner, 2015). We recognize that people—including ourselves—are more than their worst decisions. We acknowledge that every moment is an opportunity to choose kindness, growth, and self-acceptance.

Think of attention as a finite resource, like water or energy. The more deliberately we use it, the more valuable it becomes (Cziksentmihalyi, 1990). By practicing focused attention, we strengthen our ability to engage meaningfully with the world. We stop reacting impulsively and start responding with intention (Baumeister & Tierney, 2012).

So, where do we begin? Start by noticing. Notice your thoughts, but don’t get lost in them. Notice the people around you—not just their actions but their struggles, their stories. Notice yourself—not just your achievements or failures, but the person you are becoming.

When you commit to this practice, you step into a life of greater integrity—one where your choices align with your values, where kindness replaces judgment, and where the present moment becomes a place of power rather than uncertainty.

References:

Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2012). Willpower: Rediscovering the greatest human strength. Penguin.

Brown, B. (2022). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are. Simon and Schuster.

Cziksentmihalyi, M. Flow–the psychology of optimal experience. 1990.

Stuntzner, S. (2015). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind By: Dr. Kristen Neff.

Every month, we invite our coaches to share their insights on a “Quick Take Questions.”

CLICK TO LISTEN TO OUR COACH’S RESPONSE ⇧⇧⇧

Stefano Calvetti-

I must say that I have a long list of outdated habits, strategies, and mindsets that leaders should shed this year. But there’s one that takes the gold medal: micromanagement.

To talk about it, let me take you back to my Navy days.

Imagine you’re the captain of a ship. One minute, you’re up on the bridge, giving orders to the helmsman; the next, you’re racing down to the engineering room to check the pressure valves. Before you know it, you’re sprinting to the operations center to question the radar operator about a blip on the screen.

Maybe you think you have everything under control, but in reality, you’ve lost sight of the mission—and your ship’s destination.

Micromanagement has negative impacts on so many levels.

As you can imagine, your team feels suffocated because they never get the chance to own their work, showcase their ideas, or learn from small mistakes. So, they disengage. I mean… why bother? The boss does everything! That’s when employees lose confidence, motivation, and—worst of all—trust in you. Ouch!

Eventually, they slip into quiet quitting, doing the bare minimum. Or, perhaps, they decide to leave the team or the company altogether.

Meanwhile, you, the leader, are drowning in details, unable to focus on the bigger picture.

Think of it this way: every minute you spend obsessing over the perfect PowerPoint background is a minute not spent on strategy, vision, learning, and your team’s growth.

The price for this fleeting sense of control is very high, isn’t it?

Crew members work best when they’re fueled up and ready to sail—not tethered by tiny to-do’s.

So, make 2025 the year you hand over the reins. Give your brilliant crew the space to innovate, experiment, and occasionally fail forward. Delegate. Trust them. Trust the system that put them in their positions.

Micromanagement? Let’s toss it overboard. There’s a whole ocean of growth and possibilities waiting for you!