Mentorship and Sponsorship: Lifting As We Climb
In higher education leadership, "lifting as we climb" is not just an inspiring phrase—it’s a critical responsibility. For women, women of color, and persons of color navigating academic institutions, access to intentional mentorship and sponsorship can define the trajectory of a career. As leaders, understanding and embodying both roles—mentor and sponsor—ensures that we do not just rise individually but also create pathways for others.
Understanding the Difference
Mentorship and sponsorship are often used interchangeably, but they are fundamentally distinct.
- Mentorship involves offering guidance, advice, and support. Mentors listen, provide feedback, and help mentees navigate their personal and professional development. It is often a private relationship centered on growth and reflection.
- Sponsorship, by contrast, is about active advocacy. Sponsors use their influence and networks to open doors for those they believe in. They recommend protégés for leadership opportunities, nominate them for committees, and publicly endorse their capabilities.
Both are crucial, but sponsorship has a particularly transformative impact on career progression, especially in environments where systemic barriers persist.
Why Both Matter in Higher Education Leadership
In the context of higher education—where leadership pathways are often built on networks of influence—mentorship helps individuals prepare, while sponsorship propels them forward.
For women, women of color, and persons of color, the stakes are even higher. Studies consistently show these groups have less access to informal networks of power. Mentorship builds confidence and skill. Sponsorship ensures that potential is seen, valued, and elevated in spaces where representation is still lacking.
Without intentional efforts, the "old boys' network" remains intact. By consciously mentoring and sponsoring across lines of gender, race, and background, we disrupt exclusionary practices and promote more inclusive excellence.
How Leaders Can Develop as Effective Mentors and Sponsors
To truly lift as we climb, leaders must be deliberate in how they mentor and sponsor others. Here are specific actions and behaviors to cultivate:
As Mentors:
- Practice Active Listening: Resist the urge to "fix" immediately. Instead, create space for your mentees to reflect, articulate their goals, and wrestle with challenges.
- Provide Candid Feedback: Growth requires honest assessment. Offer feedback that is both compassionate and constructive.
- Share Your Journey: Transparency about your own obstacles and failures demystifies success and normalizes struggle.
- Support Identity Development: Acknowledge and affirm the unique experiences of women, women of color, and persons of color in academia. Help them navigate the complexities without asking them to conform.
As Sponsors:
- Advocate in Rooms of Power: When selection committees, grant opportunities, or leadership roles arise, be the voice that says, “I know someone who would be excellent for this.”
- Lend Your Reputation: Attach your name to theirs in a way that conveys trust and credibility.
- Create Opportunities: Invite emerging leaders to present with you, co-author papers, or co-chair committees.
- Hold Institutions Accountable: Push for transparent processes that surface a diverse pool of talent for high-visibility opportunities.
A Final Call
Higher education institutions are engines of societal change. Yet too often, their leadership structures lag behind the diversity they aim to foster. As leaders, we must commit to both mentoring and sponsoring—especially for those historically marginalized within the academy.
Our climb is not complete unless we extend our hands to pull others up with us. By investing in both mentorship and sponsorship, we build not just careers but communities of resilient, brilliant leaders who will shape the future of higher education—and beyond.
