ReConnect Principle 7
— Sponsor others
Before you are a leader, success is all about growing
yourself. When you become a leader, success is all
about growing others.
— Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General
Electric
Sponsorship is so much more than mentoring. It is
the intentional support of another, taking action,
collaborating and sharing what you know and who
you know to better someone else.
Sponsorship in the workplace, especially for women,
is still regarded with a mixture of suspicion and
ignorance — and a feeling of ‘what’s in it for me?’
from the sponsor, which to a large extent colours the
relationship before it even starts. For a truly two-way
sponsorship to work, then, it has to happen in the
right environment — and that environment is one of
collaborative thinking.
Sponsors vs. mentors
Sylvia Ann Hewlet, president and CEO of the Center
for Talent Innovation and a Manhattan-based think
tank says, ‘Mentors advise, sponsors act.’ And herein
lies the subtle and yet crucial difference between
mentors and sponsors.
On the one hand, mentors provide guidance, helping
define visions and goals. Mentoring is more of a softly,
softly approach; catching up for chats and being
a willing sounding board for thoughts and ideas.
Mentoring is more about giving advice and listening
to concerns than saying, ‘Yes, I will help you gain X.’
Active sponsorship, meanwhile, is far more powerful
and a large obligation — but the results for those
being sponsored are often far greater than for
those being mentored. Usually sponsorship is from
someone senior within the protégé’s own company,
or a successful entrepreneur within the same field.
Fundamentally, sponsorship involves the active
support of another to achieve their goals. Sponsors:
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take action
open doors
make invaluable introductions
give business/career leads
are in it for the long haul
help pave the path to success
help others to achieve their visions, goals and
dreams for personal and business success
• help build a powerful and diverse network
• influence activity and decision-making
• actively build the pipeline of future game
changers, entrepreneurs, leaders and business
owners.
Sponsorship takes collaboration to a whole new level.
It does not necessarily have an immediate benefit to
the sponsor, but it does:
• build and support the next generation of leaders
(men and women)
• show through behaviour modelling the
requirements of future leaders
• share kn owledge, insight and connection for the
long-term benefit of the recipient.