How to Do Sponsorship Right

Mentoring, sponsorship, and advocacy initiatives come and go, with a well-known principle underlying all of them: If you match successful, seasoned executives with up-and-coming professionals, especially from groups underrepresented in upper management, you’ll reap many benefits. Juniors, as I call the recipients of career help, grow and receive support in advancing their careers, while seniors revitalize their impact on the business, learn new skills, and gain an understanding of a generation with ambitions, priorities, and challenges different from their own. As a result of this interpersonal magic, organizations not only attract high performers and make the most of their talent but also propel a more diverse group of future leaders up through the ranks.