The road to success is never easy, but having a mentor or a coach can make the journey much smoother.

Many of the most well-known and respected leaders today will tell you they had role models along the way who helped them get to where they are now.

However, not everyone is fortunate to have a collective of people who they can learn from along their career journey.

Much is made of the importance of female mentors in the workplace — and with good reason. At every stage of their education and professional development, girls, graduates, and young women should be able to look up to and be supported by leaders who understand their circumstances and challenges.

Female mentorship helps to build social capital, nurture ambition, and break down barriers to progress.

In her working life, Berniece Hieckmann, Strategic Business Transformation Executive Head at Metropolitan, believes in the power of mentorship especially for the youth of South Africa.

“Being young in South Africa is not easy. It takes courage and resilience to get through school, further education, find work to support those you love, and still find time to remember to be young. It’s harder when you are alone. If young people can find mentors to give them support, guide them and be part of the collective, making it as a young person might not be as hard,” says Hieckmann.

Whether you're just starting or looking to take your career to the next level, having a mentor or coach can significantly improve your chances of progress. According to Hieckmann, mentorship does not have to be formal as a mentor is anyone that can teach someone something.

We all have unique skills and life experiences which people around us can draw from. When it comes to mentoring young people Hieckmann believes that this is a worthwhile investment.

Demographically, South Africa will soon have of the youngest populations on the planet. This is a fantastic opportunity for our country to reap a demographic dividend with a young and energetic population. However, without the proper support for youth we could lose out on this opportunity as a country.

When it comes to mentorship and the importance thereof, Hieckmann has many lessons that she has learned and now imparts onto the young people she herself mentors. “I am always looking out for hidden and undiscovered talent. Being young is amazing and terrifying at the same time.

There is an inner desire to be an individual and to achieve – and at the same time confusion and insecurity about how to use what you have inside you to navigate life. A mentor can help with this navigation,” says Hieckmann.

When it comes to lessons learned from her mentors, Hieckmann says, “I have learned so many lessons from my many mentors, I could write a book! With that said, it is important to never lose your sense of curiosity.

Asking ‘why’ is almost always more important than asking ‘what’. My advice to young people is that they remain fascinated with as much as possible and follow the thread of curiosity in any direction that leads them.

Some of the most challenging problems don’t have obvious answers but we can find solutions inspired by curiosity and the most “left field” insights.

Young people should remember that mentorship is not about wanting to become a clone of someone you admire but more about learning from those around you on your career and life journey.

Everyone has something valuable to teach and at the same time everyone also has flaws. The magic is in not trying to emulate the people you look up to but identifying the positive you wish to learn from them.