In the world of professional development, mentoring is a sacred cow. We picture the seasoned executive taking a junior colleague under their wing, sharing decades of wisdom over coffee. It’s a valuable tradition, built on the assumption that knowledge flows downhill from the top of the org chart. But in an age of relentless disruption, that one-way street is fast becoming a dead end.

As a consultant in organisational culture, I see senior leaders who are masters of their industries but are increasingly disconnected from the digital and social currents shaping the future. They’re leading companies through digital transformation having never used the platforms that define their customers’ daily lives. The problem isn’t a lack of wisdom; it’s a crisis of relevance.

The solution? We need to flip the script. The most innovative and courageous companies embrace reverse mentoring, a model where younger employees guide senior leaders. It’s a powerful acknowledgment that experience and expertise are not the same in today’s world. While a senior leader holds invaluable strategic wisdom, a 25-year-old digital native has the key to understanding new markets, modern employee expectations, and the technology underpinning future growth.

This isn’t a new or untested idea. The legendary CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, championed it back in the late 1990s, requiring his top 500 executives to be mentored by junior staff on how to use the internet. He knew that to lead in a new economy, his team first had to learn to live in it. More recently, companies like Procter & Gamble have used reverse mentoring to get their senior brand managers up to speed on social media.

But the benefits go far beyond simple tech literacy. When a senior leader has the humility to learn from a junior colleague, it shatters generational stereotypes and builds psychological safety across the organisation. It signals that curiosity is valued over hierarchy.

The most profound shift, however, is behavioural. Younger generations, raised in an era of authentic self-expression, are often more adept at open dialogue and emotionally direct communication. In my coaching work, I see senior leaders trained to project an armour of invulnerability. A Gen Z mentor can model a different way of being—one where vulnerability is not a weakness, but a tool for connection. They teach leaders not just what to see, but how to speak about challenges with a candour that builds trust far faster than any polished corporate memo.

So, how do you start? This begins not with a formal programme but a leadership mindset shift. It requires humility and a genuine admission that you don’t have all the answers. Leaders must stop broadcasting and start listening—not just to their peers, but to the people on the front lines of change.

For any leader feeling out of touch, the first step is simple. Find a junior colleague, take them for a coffee, and ask them one question: “What’s one thing you think I don’t understand about the world today?” The answer might be uncomfortable. But in that discomfort lies the future of your leadership. Because expertise no longer belongs to the person with the oldest title. It belongs to the person with the most relevant view.