Mentors teach, guide, advise, consult, and lead by example. Most people can name the influential role models who have shaped their direction. They include parents, professors, and coaches. The purpose and values that drive career paths are often steered by the lessons learned from mentors. Once you’ve had a strong mentor, it’s natural to want to pass the benefit along to a young protégé later in life.
Sponsors put their name and resources behind future leaders. On the platform of their reputation, they connect talent with opportunity. They invest their time and money in the development of the people who will someday do the same for others. Less focused on the teaching priority, sponsors are dedicated to positioning people of influence in positions of impact. Creative examples of sponsorship include:
- Pay the tuition for a leadership course.
- Assign project oversight with decision authority.
- Extend a personal recommendation for advancement.
- Assume the risk for early-career promotion.
- Elevate the visibility of innovative discovery.
- Invite feedback from the quietest teammate.
Consider the talent in your organization. Some of tomorrow’s leaders will follow the traditional path and fill the roles opened by various reasons for departure. Teammates who are sponsored will accomplish more than executing the succession plan. They will infuse your team with energy and innovation. They will ensure the health of your culture. They will provide the greatest return on your investment.
