Talent does not grow in the shadows. Future leaders need to be seen, and sometimes they need a gentle push into the spotlight. Adam Gronski, a public media executive with more than 20 years of experience leading high-performing marketing and sponsorship teams, has spent his career building strong partnerships, shaping strategy, and developing the people behind the results. His perspective is shaped by experience. Most organisations treat mentorship as a programme or task, when meaningful development actually happens through relationships built on trust, accessibility, and shared context.
“When I first began managing teams, I realised that the best mentorship moments did not happen in formal ways,” says Gronski. “They happened in hallway conversations and coffee chats.” For Gronski, developing future leaders means creating environments where people feel safe to talk openly, helping them learn how to think like leaders rather than simply execute tasks, and giving them visibility through stretch opportunities that bring their potential into view.
Creating Environments Where People Talk Openly
Mentorship is not a task. It is a relationship, and relationships are built on trust. “To truly develop people, you have to show up, be curious about their goals, and listen more than you speak,” Gronski explains. “That is not always easy.” Many mentorship efforts rely on structured one-to-ones, formal feedback cycles, and scheduled check-ins. While these create consistency, they often miss the moments where real learning happens. Informal, unscripted conversations allow people to talk about what is actually challenging them rather than reporting on deliverables.
Hallway conversations and coffee chats lower the stakes. In those settings, people are more willing to admit uncertainty, ask questions that feel basic, and test ideas before they are fully formed. These moments often reveal the gaps in understanding that matter most. “Give people the space to talk openly,” Gronski notes, “and you gain the insight needed to guide them in a meaningful way.”
Teaching People to Think Like Leaders
Most professionals already know what to do. The bigger gap is understanding why something matters and when to apply a particular approach. “That is where mentorship adds real value,” Gronski says. “I try to help people zoom out, see the broader strategy, ask better questions, and make decisions that support long-term outcomes. It is less about giving answers and more about shaping how they think.” Early-career professionals often execute well without fully understanding how their work fits into the bigger picture. Mentors can bridge that gap by connecting daily tasks to organisational strategy, explaining timing and trade-offs, and modelling how leaders interrogate assumptions rather than simply follow instructions.
“One method I use is asking how they would approach a challenge before I offer advice,” Gronski explains. “It builds ownership and confidence.” By inviting someone to articulate their thinking first, mentors surface reasoning patterns, identify gaps, and help people strengthen judgement. Jumping straight to solutions may resolve the immediate problem, but it removes the opportunity to build problem-solving capability. Developing leaders means resisting the urge to provide quick answers and instead investing time in helping people understand why and when different approaches work.
Providing Visibility Through Stretch Opportunities
Talent does not grow in the shadows. Future leaders need opportunities to be seen, and sometimes they need someone else to open the door. “Look for moments to nominate people for cross-functional projects, leadership programmes, or opportunities to present to senior teams,” Gronski says. “Those moments can shape careers.” Many capable professionals remain invisible beyond their immediate teams because they have not been given opportunities to demonstrate their thinking and leadership more broadly. Effective mentors recognise potential and actively advocate for visibility.
“I have seen people rise to the occasion when given the chance to lead,” Gronski notes. “Mentorship is about recognising potential and standing behind it when it matters.” Stretch opportunities accelerate growth by pushing people slightly beyond their comfort zone. That discomfort builds confidence, resilience, and capability in ways routine assignments cannot. Often, emerging leaders underestimate their readiness. Mentors who see what others do not help bring that potential into view.
Shaping People, Not Just Outcomes
“Leadership is a legacy,” Gronski reflects. “We do not just shape outcomes. We shape people.” Effective mentorship is not complicated, but it does require intention. Create environments of trust where informal conversations can happen. Help people zoom out to understand why and when, not just what to do. Advocate for emerging leaders by giving them opportunities to be seen, heard, and stretched. That is how future leaders grow, out of the shadows and into their potential.
Connect with Adam Gronski on LinkedIn for insights on mentoring and developing tomorrow’s leaders.
