So this has been getting a lot of attention in the press about how you need sponsors, not only mentors. I recently held a “lunch and learn” session with my real-life “sponsor”, and he told a great story that I think sheds light on what sponsorship means…

Him talking: “I needed to make a presentation to the head of the business about cuts we needed in the budget. “G” (that’s me)  and I were working on the presentation and came to an impasse. I wanted to use a page that had caveats: after all, we weren’t sure about the cuts, it was still in pretty rough shape with lots of unknowns. “G” insisted: “Nope, you have to go in without any caveats. Present the case. It will be fine.”  And even though every cell in my being was telling me to go in with the caveated presentation, I listened to her and went with her approach.

Well, I was done in 15 minutes. The business head just asked me if I needed anything from him, I said no and he was satisfied.  My colleague, who took the caveated approach I had wanted to take, got grilled for the rest of the hour and at the end was told ‘I understand, but you didn’t do what I asked you to do.”

At that point, when I took G’s advice over my own instincts, I knew I could be her sponsor.”

Sponsorship is important, but it’s not something you can ask for. It’s something that takes months of working together, being observed under pressure, demonstrating who you are.  It’s when someone trusts your judgment even more than their own.