A mentor gives you advice, perspective and feedback. A sponsor uses their own influence to advance your career: recommending you for roles, putting your name forward in rooms you are not in, and vouching for you when decisions are made. Most people need both, at different times. Women are often well mentored but less often sponsored, which is why understanding the difference matters for leadership progression.
Mentor vs sponsor: the roles
| Mentor | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|
| Main role | Advises and supports | Advocates and opens doors |
| Talks | With you | About you, to decision-makers |
| Seniority | Can be at any level, including peers | Usually senior, with influence over appointments |
| What they risk | Time | Their own reputation, by backing you |
| What you get | Perspective, feedback, confidence | Opportunities, visibility, stretch roles |
| How it starts | Often by asking | Usually earned through visible work |
Researchers have argued for over a decade that the difference matters. A 2010 Harvard Business Review article by Herminia Ibarra, Nancy Carter and Christine Silva, "Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women", reported that the women they studied were mentored at least as much as men but that their mentoring less often translated into promotions, and pointed to sponsorship as the missing piece.
Identify the right development need
Ask yourself which of these describes your situation:
- "I am not sure how to handle a situation or what to do next." You need a mentor.
- "I want feedback on how I come across." A mentor, or a trusted peer.
- "I am ready for a bigger role, but decision-makers do not know my work." You need a sponsor.
- "I keep being told I am doing well, but I am not being promoted." You probably need a sponsor, and a clear conversation about what the next role requires.
Build reciprocal professional relationships
Finding a mentor
- Look for someone who has solved problems you now face; they do not need to be very senior.
- Ask for something specific and bounded: "Could we meet for 30 minutes once a month for three months?"
- Come to each conversation with a question and follow up on what you did with their advice.
Earning a sponsor
Sponsorship is rarely given on request. It follows from a senior person seeing your work and trusting you. You can make that more likely:
- Do visible, important work, ideally connected to the sponsor's priorities.
- Make your results known, with evidence, in updates the sponsor sees.
- Ask for advice on your next step, which often turns a senior contact into an advocate.
- State your ambitions clearly. Sponsors cannot back a move they do not know you want.
- Deliver when they back you. Their reputation is now linked to yours.
Making it reciprocal
Relationships last when both sides benefit. Share useful information, give your mentor or sponsor honest perspective from your level of the organisation, and in time, mentor and sponsor others yourself.
What organisations can do
Formal sponsorship programmes, where senior leaders are accountable for the progression of named high-potential colleagues, can reduce the reliance on informal networks. If your organisation has one, ask how to be considered. If it does not, suggest it.
Related reading
- Women in leadership subject guide: development plans, mentoring and sponsorship, influence and the course
- Development and influence practice pack: a worked behaviour goal, stakeholder map and review
- Women in leadership in the UK: barriers and practical steps
- How to build a leadership development plan
- Stakeholder influence for women leaders
Mentorship networks and organisational advocacy are themes in LSBUK's Women in Leadership course, a programme of leadership development for women at management level and above. It cannot guarantee a sponsor or a promotion, but it gives you practice, a plan and a peer network.
The bottom line
Mentors help you get better; sponsors help you get chosen. Be clear which one you need now, do work worth backing, and make your ambitions known to the people who can advocate for you.