Understanding the Distinction Mentorship vs Sponsorship for Women Leaders

Mentorship involves guidance, advice, and support from a more experienced person, helping the mentee navigate her career path, improve skills, and overcome obstacles. Sponsorship, however, takes an active role in advancing the mentee's career by advocating for her, opening doors to opportunities, and using the sponsor's influence to help her climb the career ladder. While mentorship focuses on development, sponsorship directly influences career advancement, making both crucial but serving different roles in the journey of aspiring women leaders.

Mentorship involves guidance, advice, and support from a more experienced person, helping the mentee navigate her career path, improve skills, and overcome obstacles. Sponsorship, however, takes an active role in advancing the mentee's career by advocating for her, opening doors to opportunities, and using the sponsor's influence to help her climb the career ladder. While mentorship focuses on development, sponsorship directly influences career advancement, making both crucial but serving different roles in the journey of aspiring women leaders.

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Jessica Farquh…
Founder + Principal Advisor at Frittata Consulting
Tue, 04/09/2024 - 09:10

It's important to note that the reason we even talk about sponsorship today is because of the research Sylvia Ann Hewlitt did into the differences between men and women's careers. She used the term "sponsorship" to coin some key differences that were accelerating men's trajectories and holding women back. In a nutshell, women were receiving a lot of mentoring, being talked TO, while men were being sponsored, ie., being talked ABOUT.

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Kristen McComb
Product Manager at Peoples Group
Sat, 10/12/2024 - 14:47

Mentorship and sponsorship are both very important for women aiming for leadership roles, but they each bring something different to the table. Mentors are great for guidance and building skills, while sponsors help open doors and create opportunities. Sponsors are the one's that will put your name forward for new projects and advocate for you. Ideally, a mix of both can really boost a woman's career and help tackle those barriers in leadership.

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