Tiiu Allikvee / Head of Mentoring at Fontes
Twenty years ago, Fontes began training mentors. In 2007, mentoring was still a relatively new and unfamiliar concept in Estonia. Today, we can say that mentoring has become firmly established here, and we are pleased that Fontes has played a part in this.
Fontes’ 20th mentoring program, which began this week, marks an anniversary milestone on this journey. It also launches our anniversary season, which will culminate in a conference and alumni reunion on 31 March 2027. A total of 44 leaders make up the joint cohort of two complementary programs: the Fontes Leadership Mentoring Program and the Coaching Leadership Development Program.
Over the past two decades, the understanding of mentoring in Estonia has changed considerably. The longstanding, outdated view that mentoring simply means a more experienced person willing to share their knowledge has gradually given way to a broader understanding. Professional mentoring requires an awareness of the mentor’s role, adherence to a mentoring competency framework and code of ethics, the ability to create a trusting environment for development, strong listening and questioning skills, and a readiness to support the mentee through a range of approaches. A modern mentor is proficient in and applies at least one coaching model. Mentoring has become an increasingly intentional and professional approach to developing people.
It is encouraging to see leadership mentoring gaining greater recognition and becoming more widely used, with one leader acting as a development partner to another. A leadership training course is not always the answer to a leader’s challenges, particularly when participants’ needs can vary considerably. Leadership mentoring offers a personalized opportunity to discuss challenging leadership situations with another leader, set new goals, explore solutions and look at one’s experiences from a fresh perspective.
Leadership mentoring has been Fontes’ primary focus since our earliest work in this field. Our aim has been not simply to train mentors, but to contribute to the development of professional mentoring and leadership culture in Estonia. We have organized Mentors’ Days, brought together the Estonian Chamber of Mentors and the Fontes Alumni Club, and continue to offer mentoring supervision and Mentoring Masterclasses. We also introduced our mentoring program in Latvia several years ago and have supported the delivery of a mentoring program in Finland.
In 2021, the Fontes mentor training program received international accreditation from EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council). It remains the only internationally accredited mentoring program in Estonia.
20 years in numbers:
- 1,300+ mentors trained
- 1,300+ mentor–mentee partnerships
- 200+ individual mentoring programs for leaders
- 130+ mentor training courses and programs
- 100+ EMCC individual mentoring accreditations (EMCC/EIA)
Perhaps the most telling achievement, however, is our mentoring community of more than 800 members — the Fontes Alumni Club. These are people who have been mentors or mentees, completed our programs, contributed to the development of mentoring and brought this mindset into their organizations. We are proud to have an exceptionally active and capable advisory board that takes the lead in many of our activities.
As we launch our 20th mentoring program, we are celebrating more than a milestone number. We are celebrating 20 years of developing the field of mentoring, building mentoring skills and championing professional mentoring in Estonia. I believe that over the next two decades, mentoring will become even more professional and, through this, an even more powerful force for advancing leadership culture in Estonia.
A good mentor does more than offer advice. A good mentor helps another leader become a better leader, while continually developing themselves.
Today, 20 years on, we no longer need to spend much time explaining what mentoring is. We can now focus on what makes mentoring professional and effective.
Congratulations to our entire mentoring community! We look forward to celebrating this mentoring milestone with you on 31 March.
Explore the conference → Link.
Take the next step in your leadership journey
Would you like to develop your mentoring skills and support the growth of other leaders? Join the Fontes Leadership Mentoring Programme, delivered in English, and become part of our mentoring community.
Photo gallery: highlights from the opening event for the 20th cohort.
