Mentors talk to you. Sponsors talk about you.
The difference in outcomes is significant: employees with sponsors are promoted at nearly twice the rate and earn ~12% more as those without one.
Yet research shows women are over-mentored and under-sponsored. Entry-level women are 50% less likely to have a sponsor than their male peers – a gap that narrows over time but never closes.
Here are three strategies to land sponsors who will supercharge your career:
1. Convert your mentors into sponsors
Your mentors are busy. Though they are likely wonderful people, they don't wake up every morning wondering how they can advance your career. If you want them to go to bat for you, you may need to tee it up for them.
Think about the mentors you already have. Is there something specific one of them could do for you right now that would make a difference for you? If so, you can say:
"I'm really hoping to be considered for [opportunity]. Would you be willing to put in a word with [person]?"
Those two sentences can shift the entire relationship from mentor to sponsor.
2. Ask for an introduction
You don't always have to approach a potential sponsor cold. In fact, research shows women are 30% more likely than men to make high-level connections through a trusted third party.
Look at your existing network. Who do you know who knows the person you want access to? A warm introduction from someone that decision-maker already trusts is worth far more than a cold email.
"I've really been hoping to connect with [senior leader]. Would you be comfortable introducing us?"
3. Bring value
Sam Saperstein interviewed over a hundred women with strong sponsors and found two paths that came up again and again.
The Doer: Senior leaders know that if they need something done, this person will get it done. They take on extra assignments, end meetings by asking "what else can I do to help?", and consistently over-deliver. Higher-ups advocate for them because they've seen the results firsthand.
The Expert: Senior leaders refer to them by name when a specific capability comes up. This used to take decades to build, but with knowledge in most fields growing at an exponential rate, younger professionals can establish expertise much faster than before. If you're looking for a lane to own, AI fluency is probably a good bet right now.
Before you jump in, two mistakes I’ve seen enough times that it’s worth mentioning:
- Only looking for female sponsors. It's an understandable instinct, but there simply aren't enough women at senior levels to sponsor all the women coming up behind them. Limiting your search also limits your access to different networks, information, and influence. You benefit from casting a wider net.
- Picking a sponsor without coattails. This one is harder to see coming. Last year I met a woman who was up for partner at her firm. She had a strong sponsor who believed in her completely, so she was blindsided when she didn't make it. What she learned afterward was that her sponsor didn't have the respect of the other senior partners. He could advocate for her all day (and it seems like he did), but nobody wanted to listen to him. Watch how your sponsor’s peers treat them before investing too much in the relationship.
Fate brings a few of us really great sponsors. Hopefully this email will be helpful to everyone else 😊
Cheering for you,
P.S. If you want to go deeper on knowing your market value before you negotiate, I was recently quoted in Real Simple on exactly that topic. You can check it out here.
