In an early blog post, I talked about how mentorship has suffered in the remote setting. Our opportunities to have ad hoc mentoring moments has been dramatically reduced; Zoom doesn’t let them happen. So as mentors, we have to put more time into intentional ones. One activity that I recently have had success with is a weekly book study. I based it loosely on one that I had with a previous mentor a ways back.
I used these weekly sessions to create space for people I mentor to deeply reflect and grow. I kept the group small, limiting it to three, and only those who were committed to achievement, not chasing titles.
Each week, we listened to a chapter from a leadership audiobook I selected. We met over Zoom for a discussion that I lead. I asked probing questions on the current chapter and pushed for thoughtful reflection on the previous in order to make connections to earlier insights. I made sure everyone spoke and everyone grew.
This wasn’t a book club. It was a practice in personal growth.
Choosing the right people: Achievement, Integrity, and Intent
The success of these sessions didn’t come from the books. Those were the seeds. It came from the people in the (virtual) room.
From the beginning, I was purposeful about the size of the group and who I invited. Keeping it to three made the space intimate and focused. More importantly though was the mindset of the people. I didn’t choose folks chasing a promotion or visibility. I chose those committed to achievement; the kind that shows up in how they work. Those are individuals with integrity and consistently do the right thing even when no one is looking.
That upfront commitment to principle matters as these are the folks that will listen to the chapter at least twice during the week without being told to. They will show up prepared for a discussion and ready to absorb hard lessons. They will also continue to reflect on the session until the next one. They aren’t seeking validation. They’re seeking growth.
This commitment was core to the success of the book study and made the sessions honest, challenging, and deeply rewarding from the start.
Selecting the first book: a reset for personal growth
The first book you choose sets the tone for the study group. It isn’t about picking the hottest leadership title or something tied to performance metrics. It’s about choosing one that hits the reset button on how people think about personal growth. Most aren’t deliberate about how they manage their growth. They don’t carve out space for it. As well, most companies don’t help them prioritize it. So it is critical that your first book does that for them.
It needs to be accessible, engaging, and aligned with your philosophy on personal growth and leadership. It needs to be both educational and entertaining which means it has to be something written in plain language; delivered with authenticity; and infused with relatable stories. Corporate jargon and abstract theory will lose your group. For that reason, the starter book I picked was “Be Useful” by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It’s funny. It’s current. It’s narrated in Arnold’s unmistakable voice, which makes it more human than any business text. More importantly, it speaks directly to values that matter: discipline, contribution, service, and resilience. These are qualities at the core of personal growth.
“Be Useful” doesn’t have much to say about team OKRs or sprint planning. That’s exactly the point. It’s not about current projects your mentees are working on. It’s about them and helping them discover who they are; helping them understand how they think; and helping them become the person they want to be.
Don’t mistake that first book for an icebreaker. It’s the commitment you’re making to them.
This space is for you. This space is for your growth. I’m here to help you grow.
Structuring weekly sessions: Consistency, Reflection, and Respect
It is important that the sessions are focused, intentional, and deeply personal. I kept the format simple but consistent to ensure that each one hit the mark. It is that routine that helps promote active listening and reflecting as a group. It avoids the sessions from becoming a task; instead they become a best practice.
Here’s how I ran them:
- One chapter per week
The pace matters. One chapter is enough to spark ideas without overwhelming folks with multiple concepts. It keeps the discussion focused by giving each week a clear theme. - 30 minutes on the calendar, 45 minutes in practice
We scheduled it for 30 minutes on Fridays. That mades it easy to say yes to and no one complained when we ran long. That’s because the conversations were meaningful, not performative. I biased for ending on insight than on time. - Mentor led, not dominated
I lead the discussion but made sure to not lecture. I came prepared with a few open questions designed to push everyone to think deeply and to connect themes from past chapters. I also watched for opportunities to slow things down in order to ask how they would have done things differently on a project at work or even a challenge at home. - Everyone speaks, every time
No flies on the wall. Participation was a requirement. To make sure that happened, for the first several weeks, I had everyone first write down their answers in Microsoft Loop before sharing and talking about them. That developed critical muscle memory and set the expectation that everyone has to be involved. Reflection doesn’t count unless you do it out loud. - No PowerPoint. No tasks. No performance
No one ever had coffee with a friend and a PowerPoint presentation broke out. That’s not how trust works. That’s not how mentoring works. These sessions were personal, conversational, and human. - Not everything has to be about work
I made it clear that it was completely okay if questions, challenges, or reflections had nothing to do with work. Mentorship is personal and the things that shape us the most are often are not found at our jobs let alone in JIRA tickets. Personal growth begins in the moments that matter to us as people.
Building momentum
After a few weeks, things started to shift. People started connecting dots. They remembered what others said in previous weeks. They built on each other’s insights. They started looking for opportunities to apply those insights and not just at work but in their lives. They started bring their own real and raw examples and asked better, braver questions.
That’s when I knew the first book had done its job.
The group was no longer just showing up. They were engaged. They were internalizing on the material outside of the session and thinking about how those ideas fit not only into their jobs but into their relationships and habits, their lives. At that point, I knew I had primed their minds for being intentional about growth.
They were now ready for the second book. A much deeper one that pushed them harder and challenged them more on change and growth. These are the books that have material that are hard to digest and put into practice unless they have had a solid first one that opened their minds. The second book I picked was “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
Start your own book study
If you’ve read this far, you are probably thinking about what a book study would look like at your work. It’s pretty likely that you already know a couple people who have the right mindset. They’re not chasing promotions. They’re not trying to impress. They’re just quietly committed to getting better. That’s who you work with.
Don’t wait for your company to launch a mentorship program. Don’t ask for permission. Just start. Pick your favorite book and schedule some time each week.
Buy the audiobooks for your group with your own money
It’s not that much and it will speak volumes about the sincerity of your offer. You’re not making a suggestion or tossing it over the wall. You’re making a clear commitment to them. You’re saying “I believe in you, and I’m willing to invest in your growth.”
That’s how real mentorship works. Through service, not status. So start now. Create the space. Guide the conversation. Challenge their thinking. A few weeks from now, when the momentum builds and you hear someone say “This is the best day of the week”, you’ll know you made a real difference.
Push Pace 