SPONSORSHIP
What is Sponsorship?
Sponsorship is a strategic alliance between a senior leader and an emerging leader.
Sponsors believe and invest in the careers of emerging leaders by giving them access to opportunity, supporting their skill development and advocating for them. When emerging leaders are recognised and supported, they add value to the company.
What mentorship lacks, sponsorship delivers. It is a strategic and proactive relationship developed between a senior leader and a high-potential team member. The senior leader sponsors the high-potential individual by providing tactical counsel, access to power networks and advocating on their behalf, gaining them access and exposure to high-profile projects and promotional opportunities within the organisation.
Organisations can use sponsorship programs to reduce gender disparities. They are an empowering tool to help women break the glass ceiling.
As Carla Harris, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley stated:
“A mentor, frankly, is nice to have. You can survive a long time in your career without a mentor, but you are not going to ascend in any organisation without a sponsor.”
Why sponsorship works
The problem
We know that women aspire to be senior leaders, but often progression depends on sponsorship, which can be hard to access.
Informal sponsorship networks tend to favour men. 9 in 10 women do not feel confident to seek out a sponsor.
The solution
We know that women aspire to be senior leaders, but often progression depends on sponsorship, which can be hard to access.
86% of women report that when they see more women in leadership, they believe they can get there too.
83% of women understand their own career progression will affect the next generation of women.
