Mentors can adopt many different styles, from authoritarian to democratic (Glanz & Sullivan, 2000). They may also take on more or less directive roles, wishing to explicitly instruct the mentee as to what they ought to do or they may want to work collaboratively alongside the mentee. Gehbard (1984) outlines the following five mentorship styles:

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1. Directive Supervision - The supervisor (or mentor) prefers to tell the mentee exactly what they ought to do. This is a more authoritarian than democratic role.

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2. Alternative Supervision - When faced with problem solving and decision making, the mentor provides the mentee with options and alternatives from which they might choose their own course of action.

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3. Collaborative Supervision - The mentor and the mentee work together in order to choose upon courses of action.

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4. Non-directive Supervision - The mentor allows the mentee to make their own decisions and does not provide input regarding courses of action that should be taken. In this role, the mentor is primarily acting as a liaison person between the mentee and the school administration, or as someone who provides moral support for the mentee.

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5. Creative Supervision - The mentor combines different styles as needed, depending on the mentee, the context, the situation and its progression.

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Mentors may also act as "(1) Models (who aspire and demonstrate [mentees]); (2) Acculturators (who show them the ropes); (3) Sponsors (who introduce them to the right people); (4) Supporters; and (5) Educators" (Malderez & Bodoczky, 1999 - As cited in Farrell, 2009).