The Mentoring Muscle We Forget

Chris Strammiello didn’t show up with solutions.
He showed up with a mindset.

When we spoke on Some Goodness, he didn’t rattle off a framework or system. He talked about mentoring the way you might talk about breathing...something that runs in the background but makes everything else possible.

Mentoring, for him, isn’t a leadership accessory.
It’s how leadership actually works.

That’s what stood out.

Because this wasn’t a conversation about checkbox programs or employee engagement scores. It was about how leaders build other leaders. And how that practice, when done with intention, makes teams stronger, businesses healthier, and decisions better.

The numbers make a clear case:

– Mentored employees are 40% less likely to consider quitting.
– 91% report job satisfaction—more than half say they’re very satisfied.
– 65% of business leaders say mentoring increased revenue.
– 64% say it improved profitability.

That’s not just retention. That’s performance.
But those results don’t come from casual encouragement or monthly coffee chats.
They come from a decision.

From Doing to Developing

Chris didn’t become a mentor because of his job title.

His first experiences came early, outside of work. Big Brothers Big Sisters. Later, Year Up. Those roles weren’t resume-builders. They were reminders that people grow best when someone makes space for them.

But it took longer to recognize that same pattern inside the workplace. As his own teams got bigger, the limits of hustle started to show. You can’t scale through willpower. Not for long. Not well.

“You start to see,” he told us, “that your job is to get things done through others.”

And that shift, from being the one who does the work to becoming the one who develops others to do it well,is where mentoring really starts to matter.

The Tribe of Mentors

Chris made a point I keep thinking about: don’t be the only voice.

Mentoring isn’t a solo act. The most resilient teams aren’t built on a single leader’s shoulders. They’re shaped by a web of voices, perspectives, and influences, a tribe of mentors.

Sometimes that means pointing your team to someone who isn’t you.
Sometimes it means creating safe places to test ideas without fear.
Sometimes it just means stepping out of the way.

When leaders make room for multiple inputs, they stop being the bottleneck.
They start becoming the builder.

Coaching the Coaches

Another theme that surfaced: if you lead a team of leaders, your role is to equip them to mentor well.

Chris does this through something he calls “learning blocks.” Practical lessons passed down from his own mentors—on preparation, presence, and priorities. He adapts them to the level of the person he’s coaching. Then gives them room to apply it in ways that feel natural, not micromanaged.

Because mentoring isn’t about downloading your thinking into someone else.
It’s about helping them learn how to think for themselves.

What Makes Mentoring Stick

If you’re wondering how to make this real inside your own leadership, here’s what stood out:

1. Make it part of the rhythm.
If it’s not on the calendar, it’s not a priority. Structure doesn’t stiffen mentoring—it strengthens it.

2. Make it personal.
Generic advice rarely lands. Take time to understand what someone actually needs—and where they’re trying to go.

3. Bring in other voices.
You don’t have to be the expert. You just have to make the introduction.

4. Show the upside.
Especially with senior team members. Don’t assume buy-in. Help them see why it matters.

5. Stay open yourself.
Chris was clear: he’s still learning. Still adjusting. Still reaching for better.

That mindset—being mentored while mentoring—is what keeps the whole thing alive.

Carry the Weight

Near the end of our conversation, Chris shared something I didn’t expect: a story about his workouts.

After years of chasing complex training plans, he simplified. Stripped everything back to one movement: the weighted carry. That’s it. Walk while carrying something heavy. Rest. Repeat.

And he got stronger.

Sometimes, he said, the thing that builds strength isn’t more complexity.
It’s more consistency.

Mentoring is like that, too.

You don’t need a ten-step system.
You don’t need a curriculum.

You just need to show up.
Ask real questions.
Create room to grow.
And carry the weight with someone—long enough for them to get strong, too.