Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 01

I n 2013, economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett pub- lished a pathfinding book telling us to Forget a Mentor, Get a Sponsor . Until then, mentors were considered de rigeur for advancing careers. And despite the title, she still found value in them. But mentors counsel you because they like you or you remind them of themselves, or perhaps they are paying back for help they received in their own career. They listen and perhaps offer advice or a nudge. Sponsors are more activist. They help you get ahead, steering you, but that comes because they figure it will be an important investment in their own career. She has now offered another book that caries that notion further, looking at the issue from the sponsor’s side: The Sponsor Effect: How to be a Better Leader by Investing in Others . “Sponsorship, thus, isn’t charity or granting a favour; it’s a powerful leadership capability. Are you an entry- or mid-lev- el manager, hoping to work better, grow your influ- ence, and get promoted faster? The right protégé can fill gaps in your skill set, take responsibilities off your plate when your calendar gets crowded, offer moral support when you need it, and build your personal brand. Are you at the top of your organization or near it, seeking loyal lieutenants and the capacity to extend your reach throughout the enterprise? The right protégé will complement your leadership skills and style, provide honest feedback, make you feel that you have extra hours in the day, and enable your influence to persist even after you’ve moved on to your next role or re- sponsibility,” she writes. Sponsorship requires active involvement by both parties. The protégé delivers performance loyalty and adds to the value the sponsor provides the or- ganization. The sponsor invests a belief in the pro- tégé and willingness to risk political capital on that individual. The sponsor advocates for the protégé and helps to cover for them. “Sponsorship’s reciprocity sets it apart not only frommentorship; it also sets it apart from standard corporate leadership development. Sponsors aren’t just grooming somebody to rise higher. They cer- tainly are looking to fill organizational needs, but they’re also taking a bet that their own careers can benefit if they invest in a promising individual’s tal- ent, skill sets and trustworthiness,” she stresses. It comes with risks. When mentoring, if the proté- gé disappoints, nobody holds you responsible. You were just helping out, advising. But here the two of you are tied more closely together. Slips can reduce your productivity and impair your image. She points to the selection of an American vice- presidential candidate, which fits the sponsor- ship model. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. Selecting Sarah Palin remains to this day a blemish on John McCain’s legacy, she notes. But she points out that George W. Bush’s sponsorship of Condoleezza Rice boosted both of them. Indeed, politics provides a convenient model. United Kingdom TV producer Trevor Phillips says, “[I]n politics if you are part of this guy’s gang, then everybody knows it. It’s absolutely clear to every- one that part of your job is to support him and part of his job is to help you. It is a deal. Sponsorship is always a deal.” Hewlett lists seven steps to effective sponsorship: • Identify potential protégés: Know what to look for in the talent you’re considering, starting with a strong work ethic, top performance and loyalty. In effect, you want a right-hand person and have three criteria to keep in mind: the person can re- ward your investment by helping you to work bet- ter, provide loyalty to both you and the organiza- tion, and fill a gap in your abilities and the unit’s. • Include diverse perspectives: Find those who are different from you. That can be in mindset, gen- der, age, ethnicity, experience or background. You don’t want a mini-me. Your network likely is not all that diverse, and you will need to pay attention to all dimensions of diversity, including transfor- mative skills and sensitivity. • Inspire for performance and loyalty: Ensure the protégé’s values align with yours, and use their The Sponsor Effect By Sylvia Ann Hewlett Harvard Business School Press, 191 pages, $38.99 24 / Canadian Government Executive // January/February 2020 The Leader’s Bookshelf By Harvey Schachter The Sponsor Effect