Many people have mentors. Far fewer have sponsors. While mentors share wisdom and guidance, sponsors do something different: they create opportunities. Understanding the distinction can have a significant impact on your career growth and leadership journey.
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Many people have a mentor. Very few have a sponsor.
They are vastly different.
A mentor gives you guidance.
A sponsor gives you opportunity.
Neither is better than the other.
Both are important.
They serve different purposes.
A mentor is generous and will tell you what they know because they’ve been there.
A sponsor will put their name behind yours in the room where decisions are made, without waiting to be asked.
The difference in career trajectory widens between people who have sponsors and people who don’t.
Sponsors are rare.
They advocate and open doors you didn’t know existed. They say your name when a seat opens up, a project gets funded, or a leadership opportunity surfaces.
The question worth sitting with this week:
Do you have someone in your corner who will say your name when you’re not in the room? If not, it’s worth being intentional about.
Leadership is an inside job. I partner with mid-to-senior leaders to help them move from operating by default to leading by choice. → Connect with me on LinkedIn.
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