“A mentor talks with you. A sponsor talks about you.”
— Sylvia Ann Hewlett
(Note: The name of the individual in this story has been changed to protect their privacy, but their story is very real)
The Power of a Well-Timed Door Opening
I met Mary a few years ago. She was ambitious, compassionate, and excellent at following through, but above all, she was deeply human. Her wisdom was direct and well-rounded, and her presence was always thoughtful.
It was easy to spot her potential.
At the time, she just needed a few things to round out her portfolio: international experience, field exposure, and more interaction with senior leadership.
We discussed her ambition and the experience I felt she needed, and explored ways she could get it. Soon after, she started to make some big moves. First into a field role, which she excelled in. Then into an international assignment. With each move, she not only gained experience but also grew her strategic exposure and organizational savviness. Though our conversations became infrequent, as is often the case when managing large teams, I always kept my eye on her growth.
Sponsorship Isn't Always Hands-On
People often misunderstand sponsorship. It doesn’t require daily exposure or deep, continuous coaching. A sponsor is more like a guiding hand, someone who nudges you in the right direction and opens doors you wouldn't have access to on your own.
When Mary returned after her international assignment, her work spoke for itself. Colleagues across the organization shared nothing but praise, reinforcing my own assessment. And that kind of collective endorsement matters. It ensures that your support isn’t just a personal bias but instead is echoed by the broader system.
Then, as they always do, things change. I moved functions, then left the organization, but knew Mary was continuing to grow.
Mary and I hadn't spoken since we stopped working together, but her development, our conversations, and my belief in her potential remained.
Then came the call.
The Referral That Changed Everything
A recruiter looking to fill a CHRO position asked me if I knew anyone in my network who would be a good fit for the role.
As soon as I heard the description, I thought of Mary. She had done the work. She had all the pieces. I made the referral, not out of obligation or any expectation in return, but for a simple reason: because I thought she would be perfect for the role and I truly believed she would thrive.
So you can imagine my excitement when I got a message from Mary that she had just accepted her first C-suite position, the position I had referred her to. I referred her without telling her, and the recruiter wouldn’t disclose how they got her name, but somehow she knew it was me.
In her words, my referral had “changed her life.”
Sponsorship is Not About Hours. It’s About Intention
Here’s the truth: Being a sponsor doesn’t require endless hours. It requires awareness, an antenna for talent, and the willingness to leverage your network and influence for someone else’s growth.
Mary became the fifth person I’ve supported into a C-suite role, and I am immensely proud of that, especially since three of the five people I have supported in making that transition are women. That leap from VP to C-suite is hard and nearly impossible without sponsorship.
As someone who has been sponsored and who takes the role of sponsoring others seriously, one of the greatest joys I experience is seeing someone else succeed.
When you sponsor someone, their wins feel like your wins, too.
Sponsorship is transformative.
It changes lives.
But it’s not something you find on LinkedIn or pluck out of a networking event. It requires trust built through authentic experiences and a genuine belief in another person.
Strip away the jargon, and sponsorship is simply a meaningful relationship. Where one person who has influence, access, network and the opportunity opens a door, guides or advocates for another person and true sponsorship happens for no other reason but to see a deserving person succeed.
A More Nuanced Take on Mentorship
Now, while we’re here, let’s talk about mentorship. This may be controversial, but I believe traditional mentorship is overrated. In my C-suite positions, I didn’t do it very often. I sponsored and coached, but I rarely mentored.
The model where an up-and-coming professional is paired with a seasoned executive to transfer wisdom across decades rarely results in promotion of the person being mentored. And it's not because there isn’t a lot of wisdom and experience that can be exchanged, I just haven’t seen it help people take leaps.
Not only is the traditional mentor-mentee relationship challenging, but it's also hard to find a mentor several positions removed from the one you are in who has the time, interest, and relevance to help you get where you want to go.
A More Practical Alternative: Build a Personal Board of Advisors
So, let me suggest a more realistic alternative:
Build a personal board of advisors.
Think about people you admire and have complementary and supplementary skills—people who may be one year ahead of you or one year behind you. Think about people with diverse experiences and build a personal board of advisors.
How do you do this? Well, it’s pretty simple.
When you're in high school, invest in one relationship with a teacher, advisor, or peer one or two years ahead of you, maybe even a friend’s older sibling. Someone you are impressed with. Do the same thing in university: pick a favorite professor, advisor, or teaching assistant that resonates with you and invest in building genuine relationships on common ground and shared interest. Ask if they are comfortable with you staying in touch or reaching out. If they say yes, then actually do this.
Get to know them as people and make an effort to show that your relationship with them matters.
Send a happy birthday text, and if they invite you to something, show up and then follow up with a sentiment of appreciation.
When you enter the workforce, make friends with the people responsible for onboarding you and get to know the HR person who helps you settle into the organization.
Find the people in your function who are the informal leaders and who you are paired up with to learn the ropes, same thing: get to know them, invest in them, show up, show appreciation.
Building Relationships That Last and Matter
As you walk through life, think about the opportunities to nurture relationships with people who add value to your life, and where you can add value to theirs.
Not just professionally but as people.
You don’t have to be best friends. You can be colleagues or acquaintances. But over time, you will form bonds with a handful of people who will be in your corner, who you feel comfortable calling on for advice, a referral, a recommendation, a personal board of advisors.
They know you, you know them, there is trust.
Now, you can take this a step further. Identify two or three people from your board of advisors and establish a cadence to touch base with them regularly—once a quarter or twice a year. Share what you’re learning. Open doors for each other. Refer to each other. Learn in real-time, together.
Instead of chasing a mentor one or two decades removed from your context, build a cohort of people with whom you can grow. Surround yourself with people you meet throughout your life who want to see you succeed, want to refer you, and want to advocate for you.
Because you never know: someone on your board of advisors might get a call from a recruiter.
And they might just give them your name.
Supporting others to see them succeed is one of the most meaningful forms of leadership we can offer. It doesn’t require a title, just a little effort, the right intention, trust, and the courage to act when the opportunity arises.
So here’s my invitation: Look around.
Who in your orbit? Who could use a nudge, an opening, or a word of advocacy?
Be the door-opener. Be the recommender. Be the reason someone else gets a shot.
And as always, take care of yourself and those around you.
In Partnership,
Nabeela
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