This paper explores how effective mentorship is essential for digital leadership, especially in the Human

Resources Management (HRM) field. A conceptual model is being introduced in a new way by combining

literature, the paper brings out the role of gender dynamics, intergenerational interactions, feedback mechanisms,

and developmental issues in defining the effectiveness of mentorship in the digital age. Further, based on these

observations, the paper presents the model of Integrated Mentorship to Digital Leadership Development

(IMDLD), which comprises five components in close relation to each other that is, Mentorship as a Catalyst to

Learning, Feedback Loops, Cross-Generation Learning, Developmental Challenges, and Inclusive Practices. The

model attributes mentorship as a transformative, reciprocal process that can develop digitally competent, resilient

and gender conscious leaders. Theoretical and practical implications imply that the organization ought to

implement well-structured, inclusive, and gender-sensitive mentorship programs to support leadership pipelines

and alleviate digital skill disparities. The paper also suggest on how further empirical research can be carried out

to prove and correct the IMDLD model to suit various organizational settings.

consider the technical skills and inclusive leadership (Matandela et al., 2025; Steinmann et al., 2018). Long et

al. (2023) also discovered that men are always more digitally literate than women, with disparity increasing with

older age, as most of the differences can be explained by unequal access to important resources, including mobile

phones, education, occupation, and income. Together, nowadays, leadership does not only concern making

decisions but also the creation of a culture of learning, flexibility, and psychological safety (Onalaja and Otokiti,

2022). Nevertheless, the question of how mentorship can be incorporated into training and development of

leadership, particularly in the acquisition of digital skills and addressing the gender gap, remains underresearched

(Williams and Ceci, 2015; Cohn et al., 2021). As a rule, even though the importance of mentorship is

acknowledged, there is remarkably little literature on how to make it effective in the leadership training process,

in particular, to develop digital skills and address gender-based issues. This disparity is critical since women are

effective and facilitate the cultivation of digital skills and inclusive attitudes required in the contemporary

workplace.

Theoretical foundations such as the Transformational Leadership theory (Ariga et al., 2023) and the Social

Learning Theory (Ehrich, 2008) underscore the centrality of mentorship in the process of learning, which is a

matter of both observation and interaction. These theories indicate that proper mentorship can even more develop

and empower the organizational capacities of digital literacy and leadership while diversifying the workforce,

and thus considerably strengthening the resilience of the organization (Singh, 2025; Saint-Michel, 2018). Among

several leadership theories, one of them stands out as the work of John Maxwell, specifically, in the way it

focuses on the concepts of transformational leadership and can be applied to the mentorship and development of

digital world.

of success. This assertion does not fall out of place based on the results regarding the need to engage continually

in digital education in leadership positions. Cortellazzo et al., (2019) also state that as a leader, one should be

able to adapt and guide teams through digital transformation, saying that it is necessary to constantly learn and

change with new technological advancements (Tiwow et al., 2023). Therefore, leaders who incorporate the

teachings of Maxwell into their mentoring would be able to create a culture that encourages the importance of

digital skills and both the mentor and the mentee would come out successful to sail through changes in

technology. Combined with that, the concept of self-leadership developed by Maxwell implies that leaders have

to develop their abilities first, and only in that case, they will be able to mentor others. In that regard, this self-

nimble workforce. Mentorship programs that are based on the principles of Maxwell are essential in the current

digital age to fill the gap in skills. As an illustration, structured mentorship, which not only produce soft

leadership skills but also focuses on digital literacy and technological agility, can be implemented in

organizations. According to a study by Tiwow et al., cross-departmental cooperation and open dialogue become

the key to the digital transformation of the organization, and the outlined characteristics can be cultivated with

the help of efficient mentorship (Tiwow et al., 2023). Therefore, by example, the leaders produce a culture of

support that welcomes learning and adjustments. Also, the perception of leadership by Maxwell states that a

great leader is a great mentor, which fosters a culture of trust and self-improvement. Although there are no

particular examples backing the argument that organizations that invest in leadership training fit within the

framework of Maxwell, the concept of applying his leadership principles in the framework of mentorship has

and individualized consideration in a greater degree (Bayo & Silayo, 2024; Irby et al., 2024). This indicates that

the presence of women in leadership roles enhances the creation of efficient mentor-mentee exchanges and the

whole diversity of the workplace. However, it is quite intriguing when Long et. al (2023) highlighted in their

study that the digital literacy of women is lower than that of men in the case of Indonesia. On the opposite side,

male mentors would be more likely to magnify their networking through the strategy of promoting one’s own

skills and thus, in a way, following the traditional hierarchical sponsorship pattern (Laukka et al., 2022).

Interestingly, Long et. al. (2023) found that men possess greater digital literacy still. The assumption behind this

is that if men are the ones who are often getting the first chance to be around the technology, then they will also

be the ones to gain greater access to digital resources and professional growth in terms of being a leader and a

mentor as well.

can increase by as much as 25% in companies where mentorship forms a part of the leadership development

practices. This viewpoint is the same as that which calls for digital competencies to be introduced more into

leadership development programs (Indoria et al., 2025). This also indicates that mentoring may play a role in

making employees perceive themselves as important and in tune with their employer, thus leading to their

increased job satisfaction and decreased turnover. Thus, mentoring is not just a method of creating future leaders,

but it is also a way of keeping talented people in the company and thus forming a cycle where the strong backing

of leaders develops the next one.

Leadership development in the current rapidly evolving digital and socially conscious workplace demands more

than traditional training approaches, as it requires intentional, inclusive, and dynamic mentorship. Therefore,

Figure 1: A Conceptual Model: An Integrated Mentorship for Digital Leadership Development (IMDLD)

Table 1.0 Components of Mentorship: Authors, Concepts, and Theoretical Contributions

Cross-generational learning and mentorship play a key role in education by allowing people from different age

groups to share knowledge. These practices help both mentors and mentees grow professionally and are now

seen as important for creating an inclusive and lively learning environment. An intergenerational mentorship

may offer a powerful platform for blending the strengths of different age groups within the workplace. This

model accentuates the importance of leveraging diverse generational experiences to benefit younger employees

from the wisdom of more seasoned counterparts while introducing fresh perspectives into organizational

mentors and mentees by sharing knowledge, supporting emotional growth, and improving student performance.

These benefits are strongest when technology is used well, and strong relationships are formed.

Building digital skills through mentorship is essential for meeting current workplace and educational needs.

Generally, any mentorship program is most effective when it encourages mentees to stretch their abilities and

necessary structure and psychological support, which can hinder mentees' learning. Therefore, incorporating

challenges within mentorship programs that push mentees beyond their comfort zones fosters resilience and

adaptability, which are essential in rapidly changing digital contexts (Irby et al., 2024). In brief, developmental

issues, mentorship, and digital capabilities all demonstrate the significance of trained mentors in the development

of essential skills in different contexts. By bridging the teaching gaps and assisting the mentors, educators and

organizations help learners acquire the knowledge and skills applicable in the digital world.

Inclusive practices within organizations that emphasize mentorship and digital competencies development play

a critical role in fostering an equitable and supportive environment. Hashish et al., (2025) highlighted that

leaders' confidence in their digital abilities directly impacts team interaction and overall effectiveness, which

that women often encounter significant barriers to mentorship access, creating intentionally inclusive programs

is strategic rather than optional. Thus, the digital skills development and inclusive mentorship are vital to creating

equitable, productive, and diverse organizational conditions, particularly when trust, gender inclusivity, and

lifelong learning are the targeted areas of leadership models.

The IMDLD model has an impact on both HRM theoretical and practical aspects. Organizations are to regard

mentoring as the main strategic point in the leadership development process, facilitating the growing of the

workforce in the most effective way (Shaari et al., 2024). The organizations' fostering of the mentorship,

participation, and accessibility-supporting environments will not only result in the improvement of individual

performance but also of the organizational resilience in the digital age, which is becoming more and more

still requires empirical validation in various organizational scenarios. The model is a useful use of mentorship to

understand the way digital leadership development takes place, but since it is very theoretical, it needs to be

tested empirically. Longitudinal or mixed-method research paradigm should be used in future studies to explore

the role of mentorship in leadership development over a period of time and across various workplaces. The

gender role should also be examined more thoroughly. Research needs to be conducted regarding the way gender

influences access to mentorship, digital skill building, and leadership outcomes, particularly in the hybrid and

remote working setups. Furthermore, the topic of growing popularity of the use of digital tools in the mentoring

process remains unclear. Nevertheless, future studies are suggested to investigate the impact of virtual platforms,

such AI-aided tools, and online collaboration systems on the quality, fairness, and inclusiveness of the

mentorship relationships. Lastly, organizational factors, which can either enhance or undermine the

The model highlights the importance of planned, designed, and inclusive mentoring processes to accelerate the

implementation of leadership readiness in technologically changing landscapes by making mentorship a key idea

takes into account the role of the gender relationship in mentorships and leadership success, shows the necessity

of creating fair developmental opportunities so that everyone, irrespective of their gender, could have access to

the skills, guidance, and prospects needed in order to grow. Together, the model supports the crucial importance

of HRM in developing adaptive, resilient, and inclusive leaders with the ability to lead multi-diverse teams and

deal with ongoing technological change. By applying gender sensitive, generational and digital capability aware

mentorship strategies, the individual talent pipelines will not only be boosted but will also boost the

organizational agility and competitiveness in long term. Following the ongoing challenges that organizations are

https://doi.org/10.18421/tem124-58

smart cities: a case study of two Indonesian mayors' approach to e‐leadership. Journal of Public Affairs,

25(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.70023

development. International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 20(1), 311-325.

https://doi.org/10.29070/jmcyam46

secondary schools in Shinyanga municipality. JMPIE, 1(1), 56-70.

https://doi.org/10.58548/2024.jmpie11.5670

Gender equity in australian health leadership. Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, 16(1), 6-10.

https://doi.org/10.24083/apjhm.v16i1.519

Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01938

an International Journal, 23(7), 469-483. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410810908839

review on key issues, gaps and opportunities. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(SI28),

171-176. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10isi28.6972

competencies for effective mentoring – analysis of top 5 Fortune 500 listed companies. 39-56.

https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83662-252-920251003

overview: exploring leadership, mentorship, and gender in academia: insights from recent research.

Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, 43, i-ii. https://doi.org/10.21423/awlj-v43.a561

education: institutional barriers and policy implications. JPSA, 3(3), 909-928.

https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15481

Evidence

Finance

Research

Letters,

58,

104588.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104588

5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2025.1634563

Journal of the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, 12(1), 6.

https://doi.org/10.53735/cisse.v12i1.205

power-critical application of soft systems methodology in STEM. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-

make a difference?. M N Gement, 21(3), 944. https://doi.org/10.3917/mana.213.0944

mentorship-driven empowerment in Malaysia’s ICT sector. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal,

9(27), 301-306. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v9i27.5742

2062-2075. https://doi.org/10.52783/cana.v32.5603

https://doi.org/10.62711/ijite.v2i4.166