A basic assumption in the leadership literature is that successful managers will vary their leadership styles to meet the developmental needs of the supervisees they are mentoring to help them reach their potential in their work performance. One promising model that has proven effective in enhancing leaders’ supervisory or mentorship skills is contextual supervision (CS). In this article, the author describes this model and shows how it has been used to help prepare classroom teachers to mentor preservice teacher candidates as they developed their instructional skills during their practicum placements in schools. This model and approach could be adapted by managers in any field to enhance their supervision of protégés engaged in learning and/or improving the skills and knowledge in their respective contexts.
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