Reverse Mentorship is a mentoring program with somewhat unconventional roles – but with a conventional purpose: to equip leaders for the future. In contrast to how mentoring programs usually are disposed; here the mentees are the more experienced and senior ones, while the mentors are at the beginning of a hopefully long professional career. However, they all have leading positions — and the ambition to gain new knowledge and find new perspectives.
The mentorship is initiated by the Jönköping County Chamber of Commerce and Fagerhult. This year, leaders from a total of six companies are participating as mentees: Husqvarna, IKEA, Länsförsäkringar, Saab, One Partner Group, and Fagerhult. The mentors have all been nominated for the Young Leading Woman of the Year award.
Eleonore Svenningsson, Head of Learning and Development at Fagerhult is one of the initiators and has been a part of the project over the years:
“Reverse mentorship is about reversing concepts and thinking anew. We encourage the participants to se things from new perspectives and to learn from each other. Watching the couples develop along the way is a great privilege, and I rejoice with them and their successes. Many of us need to take a step outside our comfort zone, and that is exactly what is the strength here.”
This year's edition of Reverse Mentorship began in mid-April with a joint meeting for all participants. Here, thirty-two leaders from different industries and companies gathered - each with their own leadership style, a distinct personality and solid knowledge. One of the mentees is Frida Almqvist, CEO of Fagerhult Belysning Sverige AB:
“We are both the same and different from each other and I think we will meet at the extremes” Frida Almqvist, CEO of Fagerhult Belysning Sverige AB
“It gets incredibly exciting when you turn the perspectives around. Me and my mentor are both alike and at the same time different from each other. I think we will meet at extremes. I have a really good feeling about this, and I hope Eliza will challenge me in a good way. I'm super excited!”
Frida Almqvist’s mentor Eliza Sjöberg is IT and administration manager at Flintab AB. Just like the other mentors, she was nominated for the Young Leading Woman of the Year award – and she was also named the winner in 2022.
“We both have a strong energy and I know I’ll learn an incredible amount.” Eliza Sjöberg, IT and administration manager at Flintab AB
During a creative exercise all participants had the chance to get to know each other on a more personal level. Mentors and mentees had the opportunity to share issues beyond professional life and leadership roles and focus on personal interests and anecdotes from life in general.
Starting in mid-April, Reverse mentoring continues the upcoming six months. The mentors and theis mentees will meet continuously over this period, both individually and in groups. The goal is for all participants to learn from each other and develop together; with a lot of energy, a good portion of forward thinking and curiosity about future possibilities. See the full list of the participants on Handelskammaren Jönköpings Län