The power of sponsorship to transform careers is now well known. When a protégé delivers performance and trustworthiness and a sponsor delivers capital and clout, this highly reciprocal relationship turbocharges the careers of both. Indeed, both finding a sponsor and being a sponsor are key to get from the middle to the top of any organization. Across talent cohorts, male managers who win sponsorship are 23% more likely to progress to the next rung of the career ladder than peers who do not have sponsors. (The figure for women is 19%.) Managers and executives who proactively sponsor high-achieving junior talent are 53% more likely to advance to the next rung of the leadership ladder than peers who fail to sponsor.
20% of White Employees Have Sponsors. Only 5% of Black Employees Do.
Executive sponsorship is by far the most effective intervention a company can make to retain and advance Black talent.
February 10, 2022
Summary.
Executive sponsorship is by far the most effective intervention a company can make to advance Black talent, but only 5% of up-and-coming Black employees succeed in winning sponsorship. Black managers cannot look to senior Black colleagues for sponsorship, and white executives don’t tend to advocate for them either. Creating more access to sponsorship is not going to happen organically. Significant progress depends on companies giving urgent priority to well-financed interventions that create access to senior level advocacy for Black managers and executives.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
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