I’m starting 2026 with something close to my heart: mentorship in healthcare.

In this Leadership Insights episode, I reflect on over 20 years of mentoring and how it’s taught me that true mentorship is reciprocal. It’s not just me giving my time and experience - it’s a two-way exchange where I’ve learned just as much (often more) from my mentees, especially those from global majority backgrounds navigating systems I didn’t face.

Key Insights

- Mentorship Is Reciprocal: I’ve learned to navigate medical school as a student from a global majority heritage in ways my own experience couldn’t quite capture - the gift flows both ways.

- Seek a Mentoring Relationship: If you’re not in one, make it happen – it’s essential for personal growth and building equitable, innovative teams.

- Organisations Must Support It: Protected time, clear structures, training, and a culture that values these relationships are non-negotiable for mentorship to thrive.

Mentorship isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s how we transform healthcare culture itself. I challenge you to think about one mentoring conversation you could start this week. The gift of reciprocal mentorship is available to all of us – let’s use it.

Episode Resources

Akindolie Medical Scholarship

Mentorship Unlocked by Janice Omadeke

NHS Leadership Academy – Inclusive Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

RCPCH Reciprocal Mentoring Programme

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Healthcare Leadership Conversations is produced by Urban Podcasts.