Elevating Legal Leadership: How Mentoring Can Add Value for Lawyers in a Rapidly Evolving Legal Landscape

As disruptive forces such as generative AI, big data, and automated decision-making continue to impact the future of the legal industry, we are noticing an increased demand for human-centred approaches such as coaching and mentoring. We expect this trend to continue because – to be frank about it – there are still many things computers and AI simply cannot do (for example, active listening; sharing actual, lived experience and empathy).

Mentoring has been defined by the Centre for Creative Leadership as: “an intentional, developmental relationship in which a more experienced and more knowledgeable person nurtures the professional and personal life of a less experienced, less knowledgeable person.”

This said, we at Alta Pete strongly advocate ‘reverse mentoring’ where the model is flipped; and where the mentoring relationship features a two-way sharing of experience and knowledge.

Mentoring draws upon the 70-20-10 principle which posits that the majority of learning and development comes through experiential and social learning in the workplace (the ‘70%’ and ‘20%’) rather than through formal courses (the ‘10%’).

Research also shows that it works: according to one study, people who had a Mentor were 20 percent more likely to get a pay rise, and five times more likely to be promoted.

Interestingly, the same study found that the Mentors themselves were six times more likely to move into a more senior role.1

The broader benefits for both Mentors and Mentees were evident in our extensive mentoring program for the ACT Chief Minister’s Directorate. Participants highlighted a range of advantages, including: sharing experiences, gaining clarity from mentors distanced from their situations, a significant boost in confidence, learning from mentor expertise, and fostering a culture of belonging. This encompassed networking, personal development, wellbeing and resilience enhancements, and career progression.

If you have been a Mentor or Mentee, you might like to reflect upon what other benefits you would add to this list.

In Bloomberg research quoted by the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA), some 614 lawyers surveyed in late 2021 reported feeling burned out in their jobs 52% of the time—a record number, according to Bloomberg’s analysis.

Whilst the reasons can vary, common causes of stress for lawyers include: heavy workloads, long hours, tight deadlines, dealing with difficult clients, pressure to bill hours, organisational change, workplace relationships, unrealistic expectations from managers, feeling isolated and lack of support from colleagues.

Against this, according to Comcare’s ‘Effective Health and Wellbeing Programs report’, there is growing information that points to the economic return on investment in employee health programs (like mentoring programs), with the average rate of return estimated at between 2:1 and 5:1.

According to a May 2023 article by Training Industry, a LinkedIn Workplace Learning report revealed that 94% of employees are more likely to stay with an organisation that invests in their careers. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 workers with a mentor report increased happiness within their careers.

Alta Pete’s Top 5 Ideas for Building a Mentoring Culture for Tasmanian Lawyers:

• Thoughtful Mentor-Mentee Pairing: external perspectives can make for effective matches.
• Establish Ground Rules: Safeguard confidentiality to promote psychological safety.
• Effective Conversations: Foster trust, safety, and respect while listening actively and maintaining confidentiality.
• Pose Powerful Questions: Drive meaningful dialogue by probing success perspectives and efficient use of time.
• Define Meaningful Goals: From enhancing leadership skills to elevating delegation capabilities, set aspirations with purpose.

James Fletcher
Managing Director
Alta Pete

1. Dickinson, K., Jankot, T., & Gracon, H. (2009) ‘Sun Mentoring: 1996–2009,’ as cited in Mindtools, ‘Helping Managers Understand Mentoring’ https://www.mindtools.com/ckh20ze/mentoring