logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
40m 57s

How Do I Get Sponsorship Support?

HBR PRESENTS / MURIEL WILKINS
About this episode

No matter how hard you work and how good you are at executing tasks, there are always less tangible reasons people get tapped for more senior roles. Executive presence matters, as does finding the right sponsors.

Host Muriel Wilkins speaks with a rising leader who understands the importance of sponsorship but doesn’t know how to get there – starting with learning to tell her own story.

Further reading:

The Relationship You Need to Get Right

The Key to Landing Your Next Job? Storytelling.

Sponsorship: Defining the Relationship

Up next
Jul 2022
How Do I Transition Out of My Current Career?
He’s had a successful career in the military and is deeply invested in his professional growth. As his transition out of the military approaches, he wants to figure out what’s next for him professionally. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through how to best prepare for the next ph ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2022
How Can I Build Credibility with My Team?
She took on a leadership role as a scrum master because she wanted a new challenge. But after a few months on the job, she worries that she lacks the technical knowledge and years of experience to truly lead her team. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches her through how to build credibili ... Show More
47m 42s
Jun 2022
How Do I Move from a Specialist to a General Leadership Role?
He’s developed a stellar reputation at his organization as the go-to person to solve some very specific, complicated problems. But he worries that the organization has pigeon-holed him as a subject matter expert, limiting his ability to lead more broadly. He speaks with host Muri ... Show More
41m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2019
Sponsorship: Defining the Relationship
Having a sponsor — someone who can use their influence to push your career forward — is invaluable. But how exactly they do this, and what your role is in making it happen, isn’t always clear-cut. Who should we be seeking to sponsor us? Should sponsors be candid with their proteg ... Show More
1h 5m
Oct 2023
The Benefits of Career Sponsorship Go Both Ways
Most of us think of mentoring a colleague as a one-way street—a gift of professional guidance and advice. But Sylvia Ann Hewlett says sponsorship needs to be a reciprocal relationship. “[T]he younger person has to display a great deal of value. And oftentimes the senior person is ... Show More
25m 55s
May 2023
The Essential Guide to Getting Promoted
Have you been languishing in the same role at work, frustrated that you haven't been promoted to a higher position with more pay and different responsibilities?My guest can help you level up in your career. His name is Randy Ornstein, and he's the author of Grow: The Essential Gu ... Show More
42m 56s
Jun 2021
#215 How to find a career sponsor
This week on the Squiggly Careers podcast, Helen talks to economist and author Sylvia Ann Hewlett about sponsorship. Sylvia is the author of 'Forget a mentor, find a sponsor' and 'The Sponsor Effect' and has a huge amount of insight and expertise on the topic. Together they talk ... Show More
29m 1s
Oct 2020
How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work | Carla Harris
You know you need a mentor to advance your career, but have you ever considered who your sponsor is? Carla Harris, vice chairman at Morgan Stanley, explains the crucial importance of identifying a person who will speak on your behalf in the top-level, closed-door meetings you're ... Show More
19m 59s
Dec 2023
Sponsorship In Action: Real-Life Success Stories with Kathryn Payne
In this episode, Kathryn Payne, a Project Executive with LeChase Construction, shares her inspiring journey in the construction sector. Kathryn fell in love with the field early on at Clemson University, and her passion for problem-solving and creating has driven her career. Spon ... Show More
33m 52s
Dec 2021
Encore: How to find the person who can help you get ahead at work | Carla Harris
You know you need a mentor to advance your career, but have you ever considered who your sponsor is? Carla Harris, vice chairman at Morgan Stanley, explains the crucial importance of identifying a person who will speak on your behalf in the top-level, closed-door meetings you're ... Show More
19m 59s
Nov 2021
Becoming a Leader When Everything Is Shifting
Once you’ve committed to a leadership role — formally and officially or simply in your mind and heart — getting everyone else at work to buy in requires relationship management. How do you successfully shift the role you’re playing on your team? What sorts of conversations help c ... Show More
40 m
Nov 2022
What We Still Misunderstand About Mentorship and Sponsorship
Companies offer sponsorship programs to help a more diverse group of high performers and future leaders advance. But the efforts can often misfire. Herminia Ibarra, professor at London Business School, says that’s because these arranged developmental relationships can lack authen ... Show More
27m 42s