The Hidden Rewards of Collaborating: Insights to Leading + Learning from Where You Are
Collaboration is key to growing our careers and businesses.
We are currently in a trust recession that is growing by creating decision fatigue and more of a separation between people and teams.
As professionals we need to get off of defenses and into an offensive and proactive posture.
Knowing what type of relationship you are in will help you learn to humanize your collaboration with the necessary intention and effort.
Here are three types of relationship models to help you collaborate better.
A Barter + Exchange: The Peer to Peer Relationship
I’m going to start with the peer-to-peer relationship first because it’s the one that’s most often overlooked.
These relationships are incredibly powerful for career and lifestyle development because these people are growing into subject matter experts alongside you. Whether you’re in the same industry, book club or went to the same university don’t sleep on building strong peer connections. They can offer ongoing value throughout your professional journey that the other two types can’t.
Here are three major benefits of cultivating peer-to-peer relationships:
1. Collaboration + Shared Learning
The proximity of peers gives each party the benefit of acting as sounding boards, brainstorming partners, and problem solving allies. Learning can be more effective when it's mutual and relatable because the experience taps into the senses of being heard, seen and felt in real time. When peers face similar challenges at the same time the immediate and applicable exchange of knowledge, tools, and strategies are priceless.
2. Accountability + Motivation
Peers can help keep each other focus and hold each other accountable. Whether it’s setting career goals, preparing for promotions, or upskilling, having someone at your level to check in with boosts motivation and builds momentum for the follow through.
3. Long-Term Network + Career Support
Peers often rise through the ranks and become subject matter experts together. By maintaining supportive peer relationships, you’re building a network of future leaders who will remember and respect your professionalism and character. These relationships can lead to job referrals, partnerships, or strategic alliances down the road.
Develop Professional Posture: The Mentee to Mentor Relationship
This relationship scenario is up second because it’s not widely baked in corporate culture. It’s usually discovered when mentor relationships are facilitated.
This relationship will be discussed from the mentees perspective and how to best benefit the mentee. It requires the mentee to be strategic with the insights from their mentor(s).
Here are three major benefits of cultivating a better relationship from mentee to mentor:
1. Accelerated Learning + Skill Development:
A mentor provides first hand insights, feedback, and guidance drawn from their own experiences to help the mentee avoid common pitfalls and learn how to develop professional posture faster than they would if they went at it alone.
Rather than relying solely on trial and error, mentees gain direct access to proven strategies, practical advice, and constructive criticism that sharpens their skills and decision-making abilities.
2. Expanded Network + Visibility
Mentors often introduce mentees to their professional networks that open doors to new opportunities they wouldn’t have had access to. The benefits of this access for the mentee can include job leads, invitations to industry events, or collaborations. The increased visibility a mentee has from the mentor boosts the mentee’s credibility in their field.
3. Confidence + Emotional Support
Navigating a career path in the digital age can bring up self-doubt especially during transitions, setbacks or layoffs. Having access to a mentor who has experienced the scenarios causing self doubt can be a mentees biggest cheat code. The mentor's insight can help build the mentee's level of confidence and resilience to navigate challenges ahead. Not to mention, knowing someone believes in their potential can be incredibly empowering.
A Pour Into the Future: The Mentor to Mentee Relationship
This relationship scenario is last because it’s widely talked about from parenthood to management. I wanted to give the first two more shine.
The mentor mentee relationship benefits the mentor with impact and important data to back up how their leadership works.
Here are three major benefits of cultivating a better relationship from mentor to mentee:
1. Refined Leadership + Communication Skills
Mentoring sharpens a mentor’s ability to communicate clearly, listen actively, and offer guidance in a supportive way. These are core leadership skills that translate into better team management, collaboration, and influence in the workplace.
2. Fresh Perspectives + New Ideas
Mentees often bring enthusiasm, curiosity, and fresh insights that challenge the mentor’s assumptions or introduce new trends, especially in rapidly evolving industries. This exchange keeps the mentor intellectually engaged and up-to-date.
3. Sense of Fulfillment + Legacy
Many mentors find deep satisfaction in helping someone grow and succeed. It reinforces a sense of purpose and contribution, and allows the mentor to “pay it forward” by shaping the next generation of leaders.
Relationships will take you further than any system can. The goal is not perfection, it’s about investing intention and accountability to build capacity in the relationship. Use these scenarios to help you build trusting relationships as you navigate professionalism in the digital age.
