Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor. Sylvia Ann Hewlett
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most from this book precisely because sponsorship has long been the inside track for Caucasian men. Men are 46 percent more likely than women, and Caucasians are 63 percent more likely than professionals of color, to have a sponsor seeing to their success. I’m not suggesting there’s a conspiracy here. Rather, it’s a quirk of human nature that keeps leadership in the United States and Europe mostly pale and male. Those in power tend to invest in other members of their tribe because they’re the ones they trust most readily. This is the way it has worked since the dawn of civilization. But that doesn’t mean sponsorship is the exclusive province of straight white guys. That sponsorship has worked so well for the old boys’ network for so long simply underscores the power of this type of advocacy, not the exclusivity of power.
As the founder of an organization focused on talent issues, I have the privilege of knowing white male executives who are committing every resource at their disposal to changing the face of leadership, and not because women’s groups have pressured them into it. They understand that much of the best talent out there is diverse. Our research shows that Caucasian men comprise a mere 17 percent of college graduates around the world.5 There’s never been a better time, that is, for accomplished, ambitious women and people of color to show they’re eager to move into leadership roles, because the business sector is competing for them worldwide. For them, sponsorship is the key that turns all the tumblers, unlocking the door to the C-suite, on Main Street as well as Wall Street.
The research undergirding the advice in this book draws on the collective experience and wisdom of some ten thousand full-time workers in the private sector.6 We interviewed dozens of Fortune 500 leaders, convened with over a hundred managers in on-site and online focus groups, and surveyed thousands of employees in the United States and the United Kingdom—people on every rung of the ladder in every profession that requires a college degree. While most of these people work for large corporations, the insights derived from their experience transcend environment. Cultivating a sponsor and leveraging the relationship to mutual benefit turns out to be a skill that serves people in nonprofits and education as readily as it serves people in for-profits and government.
Finally, I’ve tested this research on the ground. I’ve presented this road map to hundreds of professionals worldwide, to graduate students at Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow, to bankers in London’s City, even to the National Football League in midtown Manhattan. The response has been amazing. You can feel the “aha!” moment happen. Men and women see, in sponsorship, the game changer they’ve been looking for. But they see something more: with this road map in hand, they’re in a position to do the changing. They don’t need to wait. They don’t need to be tapped or chosen or singled out by someone else. It’s up to them to put this dynamic into play.
And now, it’s up to you.
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