Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor

This book was written from the author’s personal experience. While she was often careful to find mentors, it still sometimes happened that she lacked support at key times in her career. This made her realize the importance of having a sponsor, in addition to a mentor.

She starts by explaining the difference between these two roles. The mentor helps the mentee decipher how the company works, make relevant professional choices and capitalize on the experience of somebody more senior. Ideally, the mentor and the mentee get along well, because it is important that the mentor serve as a role model for the mentee, who puts him- or herself in listening mode. The sponsor, on the other hand, is more like a promoter whose role is to support his or her protégé at the right time and to suggest the latter’s name when important choices are being made. The sponsor is an active supporter highlighting the achievements of the protégé. This relationship is based less on intellectual affinity than on a strategic alliance. The sponsor promotes the protégé, and in turn benefits when the protégé succeeds. He or she appears to be someone who knows how to spot the company’s future talent. The protégé must be proactive, loyal and deliver results commensurate to the trust that has been granted.

The author then focuses on recommendations more specifically aimed at women. She encourages them to follow the example of Sheryl Sandberg, now number two at Facebook, who knew how to find a sponsor. She joined Larry Summers’ Harvard research team, even though she had no particular affinity for his ideas or leadership style! When he became Secretary of the Treasury, she was naturally brought into his team and propelled to important responsibilities.

Although this book is addressed particularly to women, the recommendations remain valid for everyone.