Research shows that mentoring is one of the critical factors for leadership advancement.
Recently, however, a distinction has been drawn between mentoring and sponsorship. The findings have highlighted how important it is for people to have a sponsor early on in their careers.
How mentors & sponsors differ
One mistake many professionals often make is using mentor and sponsor interchangeably. Mentors provide psycho-social and career support. Most mentors focus on personal and professional development.
Sponsorship, by contrast, involves advocating for advancement. Without sponsorship, a person is less likely to be promoted, even if they have high potential. This is especially true for managers at mid-career level and beyond.
Where a mentor helps you envisage your next position, a sponsor will lever open that position for you. A sponsor doesn’t just believe in you; a sponsor believes in you more than you believe in yourself.
The key differences:
Mentors:
- Can sit at any level in the hierarchy
- Provide emotional support, feedback on how to improve and other advice
- Focus on the mentee’s personal and professional development
- Help mentees learn to navigate corporate politics
- Serve as role models.
Sponsors:
- Must be senior managers with influence
- Give protégés exposure to other executives who may help their careers
- Make sure their people are considered for promising opportunities and challenging assignments
- Protect those they are sponsoring from negative publicity or damaging contact with senior executives
- Fight to get their people promoted.
