Building Leaders Through Mentoring Leadership

Steve Feller
Jan 8
3 min read

Updated: Feb 3

A Journey to Leadership

Over the past year, I have been working on a small project that is getting remarkably close to being ready. But before I dive into the details of this project, I want to share a little about how I got to this point.

The Birth of a Name

I have written before about how I created the name of my company, but it’s worth revisiting because it relates to this work. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a project that helped people define a single word representing who they are—similar to the framed one-word posters you often see in offices, like “Attitude.” This process was different. It involved several meetings and personal writing exercises. In the end, all that information was distilled into one word. Mine came back as “Genuine.”

Reflecting on My Career

The next part of this story comes from my 30+ year career. I began reflecting on my time with the company I still work for and the many roles I’ve held. I asked myself a simple question: of all the jobs I’ve had, which one did I enjoy the most? The answer was easy: mentoring the people I worked with. Helping someone grow and develop into a strong leader has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

When you put those two things together, it becomes clear how my business name was created: The Genuine Mentor.

Balancing Work and Passion

I am still working for the same company today, currently helping with a full SAP rollout, which keeps me quite busy. Even so, over the past two years, I have built my business, developed the brand, launched a website, written consistent articles, provided pro bono coaching, and started building my Mentoring Leadership Program—the project I mentioned earlier.

Introducing the Mentoring Leadership Program

I am building a leadership course that meets two hours a week over eight weeks. I have taught similar courses in the past, and this one is built entirely from my years of experience. Let me let you in on what this course will look like.

Mentoring Leadership

Building leaders who listen, guide, and make the hard calls—humanly.

Mentoring Leadership is a people-first leadership program designed to help leaders build trust through one-on-ones, guide growth with clarity, and make hard leadership decisions with honesty and care.

The Mentoring Leadership Model

LISTEN → Create safety. Hear what’s underneath.
CONNECT (Empathy) → Build trust without lowering standards.
CLARIFY → Align on goals, expectations, and direction.
GUIDE → Develop people, not just performance.
DECIDE (Responsibility) → Have honest conversations. Make the hard calls.

One-on-ones are the practice field—and ultimately the training ground—for future leaders.

What Leaders Learn

In this program, leaders will learn:

How to run meaningful one-on-ones.
How to listen without fixing or performing.
How to give clarity without control.
How to address performance issues early.
How to guide careers—not just manage work.
How to make tough decisions with integrity.

Why This Program Works

This program is effective because it:

Builds trust before problems escalate.
Prevents surprises in year-end reviews.
Reduces disengagement and quiet quitting.
Strengthens accountability without fear.
Creates calm, confident leaders—not loud ones.

The Outcome

The goal is to develop leaders who show up consistently, tell the truth early, develop people intentionally, and lead with presence—not ego.

Mentoring Leadership doesn’t create perfect leaders. It creates trusted ones.

Your Feedback Matters

I would love your feedback on this program and whether it would be of interest to you. While I’m still finalizing the rollout timeline, I’m excited about the direction this is heading. I’m being intentional and meticulous in building something that is practical, human, and incredibly helpful for leaders who want to do this work the right way.

I hope this journey resonates with you. Remember, every great leader started somewhere, and it’s never too late to invest in your growth. If you’re curious about how mentoring can transform your leadership style, let’s connect!