Why is leadership mentoring important?

Leadership mentoring is crucial for developing the next generation of leaders. It involves intentional personal growth, professional development, and mentorship. A mentor helps to build on an existing foundation of skills and knowledge, facilitating multiplied growth by sharing lessons, challenges, and failures.

How to find a mentor in leadership?

To find a leadership mentor, consider existing connections. Leadership mentorships can be formal, informal, or impersonal. Formal mentorships have defined roles and goals, informal ones are based on trust without defined structure, and impersonal mentorships involve learning from public figures like authors or speakers.

What are some questions to ask your leadership mentor?

Questions to ask a leadership mentor can include: 'Can you review my career plan?', 'How did you handle not being taken seriously as a leader?', 'What legacy do you hope to leave?', 'How do you balance work and life?', and 'What do you wish you had prioritized more in your career?'

How to build a leadership community?

Building a leadership community involves creating a 'Legacy Committee' consisting of various mentors. This committee should include individuals who align with your career aspirations or possess values you admire. The committee can consist of past bosses, coworkers, or other professionals who can offer guidance and support.

From microaggressions to microaffirmations: Creating psychological safety on diverse teams

Spark Connection

Apr 7

Written By Marisa Matz

Mastering Microaffirmations | Microaggressions | Matz Learning — Microaffirmations - Let’s talk about small but mighty gestures of inclusion & recognition

Hopefully you’ve experienced how empowering it feels to express your ideas and identities authentically at work. Psychological safety – the ability to speak up, take risks, and show vulnerability without fear – isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential for innovation, collaboration, and team success.

Amy Edmondson’s research shows that psychological safety creates the kind of teams we all dream of working on: supportive, high-performing, and trust-filled. The great news? You have the power to build this foundation, one microaffirmation at a time.

First: What are microaggressions?

Before we dive into solutions, it’s important to recognize the obstacles. Microaggressions – often unintentional slights – erode trust and can make team members feel unseen or undervalued.

Here are some common examples of microaggressions on teams:

Interrupting or talking over someone repeatedly (sends a subtle message that someone’s voice carries less weight)
“Don’t take it personally” (invalidates someone’s experience and discourages open communication)
“Can I speak to your manager?” (assuming a woman or younger team member isn’t in a leadership role)

Microaggressions may chip away at psychological safety, but the antidote lies in deeper conversations that include microaffirmations. These are intentional, everyday actions that uplift, connect, and empower.

Let’s learn how to build these in to our leadership practices!

Mastering microaffirmations:

As a leader, your perspective naturally equips you to champion and model microaffirmations. These small and incredibly impactful actions help your team feel seen, valued, and respected. Try these practical tips to signal that every voice matters and encourage full engagement:

Verbal microaffirmations:

Acknowledge contributions: “Your idea in the meeting was spot-on. It really pushed us in the right direction.”
Validate experiences: “Thank you for sharing – it gave me something new to think about.”
Invite diverse perspectives: “We’d love to hear your take on this – it could really shape the direction we go.”
Express specific gratitude: “I noticed how much effort you put into that project. It really paid off, and I appreciate it.”
Recognize unique strengths: “You’re easily able to demonstrate empathy with clients – it’s such a valuable asset to our team.”

Behavioral microaffirmations:

Adapt your communication style: Be mindful of individual preferences and flex your communication style to show respect and understanding.
Listen actively: Maintain eye contact, nod, and refrain from interrupting to show someone their input is valued. I like to place my index finger on my top lip to keep me from speaking. (Try it!)
Celebrate differences: Participating in or supporting team events that highlight diverse traditions, like a potluck featuring foods from various cultures.
Make space in meetings: Prior to a meeting, share an agenda and expectations for verbal participation and sharing.
Support professional growth: Advocate for team members to take on leadership roles, stretch assignments, or other opportunities with visibility.
Regularly seek feedback to ensure your leadership approach is meeting the needs of your team.

When you make it a habit to build microaffirmations into your leadership practice, you help everyone feel seen, valued, and empowered (...and inspired!) to contribute their best work.

Lead from your heart.

Mastering microaffirmations takes intentionality, and sometimes humility. As leaders, we have the power to shape workplaces that celebrate diversity – where microaffirmations replace microaggressions and psychological safety empowers more confident contributions from all team members.

Each opportunity you find for a microaffirmation becomes your legacy – and that legacy has the power to transform lives and organizations.

Your action step:

As you step into this week, what’s one microaffirmation you can practice? Start small but intentional, and watch as those moments of connection ripple outward to shape a more inclusive and impactful team culture.

Lead the way,