If you really want to master something, teach it to someone else. This is the essence of the Protégé Effect—a psychological phenomenon in which explaining concepts to others strengthens our own understanding and retention. 

It’s why doctors teach medical students to reinforce their own knowledge, why tutorials are created on how to write certain lines of code, and the why the best way to articulate and embed each stage of an end-to-end sales playbook is to train a new team member on it. The act of teaching forces the teacher to break down concepts, fill in knowledge gaps, and clarify their own thinking. 

But this effect isn’t just useful in academic settings or team onboarding; it’s a powerful tool in the workplace. Companies that intentionally embed learning-by-teaching practices into their culture create a workforce that is more confident, more capable, and ultimately more aligned with business objectives. 

Corporate training models are often passive—employees attend a one-off workshop, watch a video at 2x speed, or shadow an in-house expert. While these methods provide value, they don’t always lead to deep understanding. The Protégé Effect flips this model by making employees active participants in knowledge transfer leading to: 

• Higher Retention of Knowledge – Teaching requires employees to process information deeply, leading to better recall and practical application. Instead of simply following a process, they develop a true understanding of why and how things work, which also allows them to share a fresh perspective on what could be working better.  

• Faster Skill Development – Junior team members learn quicker when mentored by someone just a few steps ahead of them, rather than solely relying on leadership for guidance. Meanwhile, the ‘teacher’ improves their metacognition.  

• Success Planning Support – Those who mentor others build confidence, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. Over time, this creates a steady pipeline of future leaders who are already adept at guiding teams and making strategic decisions. 

• Cultural Strength and Collaboration – Organisations that actively encourage knowledge-sharing build a stronger sense of community. Employees feel valued for their expertise, leading to higher engagement and deeper cross-functional collaboration. 

The real power of the Protégé Effect, however, comes from ensuring that mentorship doesn’t become a rigid, top-down process where employees feel pressured to conform to a single way of working. 

Both Marie-Claire and I are mentors in the SistersIN programme. Through meetings with our mentees, as well as through the insights we learn from fellow mentors, we see first-hand the positive impact of the Protégé Effect. Not only do the mentees get an insight into the corporate world, but the mentors have a chance to go back to basics, reflect on the key attributes that have helped them to achieve success and intentionally nurture these same skills within the next generation.