The Real Impact of Mentoring: How Leaders Build Teams That Perform

We had Chris Strammiello on the Some Goodness podcast recently. Chris is the Chief Revenue Officer at Lean Solutions Group, and he’s spent over 25 years leading in sales, marketing, and operations. But more than titles, what stood out in this episode was how he thinks about mentoring—not as a side activity, but as a core part of building successful teams.

This wasn’t a conversation about check-the-box mentorship programs. It was about how leaders grow other leaders, and how real development drives real business results.

Mentoring Isn’t Just Encouraging—It Delivers Business Results

Most people recognize that mentoring matters, but the numbers from the start of the episode make it hard to ignore:

• Employees with mentors are 40% less likely to consider quitting.

• 91% report job satisfaction, and more than half say they’re very satisfied.

• According to the Association of Business Mentors, 65% of business leaders say mentoring increased revenue, and 64% say it improved profitability.

It’s not just about retention or culture—it’s about performance, decision-making, leadership readiness, and business growth.

But those outcomes don’t just happen by accident.

From Being Mentored to Leading With Intention

Chris shared that mentoring has been part of his life for a long time. He started mentoring outside of work in his early 20s through Big Brothers Big Sisters and later with Year Up. But it took him longer to recognize how mentoring was showing up at work—both in the people who shaped him, and in his own responsibility to pass those lessons on.

As his teams grew, he realized that his own effort wouldn’t scale. You can’t lead a large team through sheer will. If you want to build a strong, consistent culture, mentoring and coaching can’t be left to chance. They have to be built in.

“You start to see,” Chris said, “that your job is to get things done through others.”

That shift—from doing the work to building people who can do the work well—is where mentoring really starts to matter.

Building a Tribe of Mentors

One of the key points Chris made is that mentoring shouldn’t be a one-to-one system. It’s better when there are multiple voices, multiple perspectives, and multiple sources of feedback. He calls this approach “building a tribe of mentors.”

This includes internal and external support: leaders inside the organization, peers from different departments, and outside experts or coaches. Each adds something different.

Sometimes that means creating space for your team to learn from others, not just from you. As Chris put it, people need “free space to learn”—places where they’re not being evaluated, where they can ask questions and test ideas.

That’s part of how mentoring becomes scalable. It’s not about you doing more—it’s about creating more opportunities for others to grow.

Coaching the Coaches

Another useful takeaway from the conversation: mentoring isn’t just for the top leader. If you manage a team of managers, your job is to help them become effective mentors too.

Chris takes a structured approach with his leadership team. He builds what he calls “learning blocks” based on lessons he’s received from his own mentors. One example? Preparation. He walked through how one of his mentors taught him to prepare thoroughly for everything—from internal meetings to client calls—and how that mindset has become part of his own coaching.

He adapts those blocks depending on the level and experience of the leader. And he also creates opportunities for those leaders to learn outside his direct oversight, so they can grow in ways that feel natural and not overly managed.

The message is clear: leaders can’t stop at doing the job well themselves. They have to invest in making others better, too.

What Makes Mentoring Work

If you're thinking about how to bring this into your own work, here are a few points that came up during the episode:

1. Make It Structured

Don’t rely on chance encounters or vague commitments to “mentor more.” Put time on the calendar. Make it part of your regular workflow. Know what each person is trying to improve, and work toward it.

2. Personalize the Approach

Mentoring works best when it’s specific. Generic advice doesn’t stick. Understand what each person on your team needs—what motivates them, where they’re stuck, what they want to build—and tailor your support accordingly.

3. Don’t Be the Only Voice

Bring in others. Invite different perspectives. Encourage your team to seek out advice from people across functions or even outside the organization. You don’t need to have all the answers—you just need to help them find the right people to learn from.

4. Show the Value

Especially when working with experienced team members, don’t assume they’ll buy into change. You have to show them why it’s worth it. What’s in it for them? What’s the impact? Help them see the upside.

5. Keep Learning Yourself

Chris was clear about this: he’s still learning. Still seeking out feedback. Still adjusting how he leads. That mindset—being a learner, not just a teacher—is part of what keeps mentoring real and effective.

A Final Thought: Simplicity Builds Strength

At the end of the episode, Chris shared a surprising personal experiment. After years of over-engineering his workouts, he simplified everything to one movement: the weighted carry. That’s it. Walk while carrying something heavy. When you can’t hold it anymore, rest. Then keep going.

And the result? He got stronger. Across the board.

“Sometimes simplifying down to one thing,” Chris said, “is where you make the most progress.”

That applies to mentoring, too. You don’t need a ten-part framework to start. You just need to show up consistently, ask real questions, and create space for growth.

Mentoring works when it’s simple, consistent, and focused. It’s not about checking a box. It’s about building something that lasts.

Listen to the full interview with Chris here.