Mentoring differs from instruction, teaching, and coaching in that it emphasizes not talents and skills used in executing a project, but the qualities and values of life that are needed to sustain oneself in the creative endeavor. In Leader Mentoring, Shenkman makes the case for leader mentoring. "No mentors, no leaders," he says. Yet, this great, ancient, and necessary catalyst for learning has been neglected by our training and development industry.

Leader Mentoring comprises a qualitatively different service than does coaching. For any executive who wants to succeed, coaching has proven its worth. But mentoring touches something else: how managers can shape their lives so that they can step into larger challenges and risks to accomplish something greater than they ever have before.

Shenkman delves into the true significance of mentoring. This book introduces new concepts by asking readers to open their hearts and minds and think differently. It reaches for the true history, tradition, and spirit that motivates mentoring. Throughout the book, Shenkman’s colleagues and clients tell their stories about their own mentoring experiences. "Mentoring has changed everything in my life," says one.

With a heightened understanding of leader mentoring, the executive reader’s concepts of coaching and mentoring will change. With this distinction clearly in mind, decision-makers can offer their prospective leaders the best and most appropriate resource for their needs and stage of life.