Mentorship is important, especially for startups navigating the uncertain waters of innovation. However, mentorship generally gives way to management. Management and mentorship, as concepts, are fundamentally different. The main role of a manager is to control, direct, and administer, while the role of a mentor is to offer less experienced employees new ideas, evaluate behaviors, and hold teams accountable for their knowledge. With this understanding, there are a few key ways for leaders to move beyond management and into mentorship. First, mentors should seek to inspire their employees. Employees should see their leader experiment with bold new ideas, and see that failure is an option in the context of discovery. Mentors should empower their employees as well. The role of the mentor is not to be a critical voice; instead, mentors should teach others how to validate or invalidate assumptions and practices. Mentors should also strive to cultivate new skills in their employees. Finally, mentors should facilitate creative and entrepreneurial behavior and ideas. When mentors inspire and empower their employees, a new set of skills can form.