Futureproofing a Resilient Leadership Pipeline Through Reverse Mentoring

Abstract

This chapter explores the phenomenon of reverse mentoring (RM) practices in helping leaders connect and engage with a multigenerational organization through appreciative inquiry. Reverse mentoring is an inverted modality that shifts the role of the mentor and mentee by pairing junior knowledge workers to help more experienced leaders acquire new learning. RM can help support the tenets of resilience within a multicultural and multigenerational organization through various behaviors such as positive adaptation, emotional intelligence, and continuous learning. The author provides a framework for a consistent approach to reverse mentoring. Organizational theory, through various theoretical lenses, guides the recommendations presented. Throughout this chapter, organizational development practitioners and organizational leaders can gain a broader perspective on the business criticality of understanding generational proclivities and the extraordinary benefits of reverse mentoring to build a more resilient workforce.