Make Yourself Sponsor-Worthy
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Maggie says, “I’ve always given 110%. Whoever I worked for, I gave them my all, every day, 10 hours a day, weekends and holidays, whatever it took. That endeared me to a lot of powerful men.”
That dedication and loyalty should have made Maggie a star. Yet although she rose in the organization, because she wasn’t strategic about whom she gave her 110% to, she squandered her gifts on leaders who didn’t invest in her. Without a sponsor to spotlight her attributes, offer her opportunities, and kick her career into high gear, she found herself stuck in what she calls “permanent lieutenant syndrome.”
Eventually, Maggie was fortunate enough to find a sponsor, and today she is an executive at a global financial advisory firm, with 22,000 people reporting to her. But there are thousands of Maggies out there—hardworking, devoted, consistent performers toiling in relative obscurity. How can you break out of the pack and attract a sponsor?
Rather than hoping for a lucky break, focus your energies on making yourself sponsor-worthy. To begin with, you must come through on two obvious fronts: performance and loyalty.
When asked how she built great relationships with three different sponsors, Sian McIntyre, head of legal at Lloyds Banking Group, says simply, “I’ve delivered.” Her performance helped her stand out. She hit her targets and deadlines, executed brilliantly on her assignments, and produced outstanding bottom-line results. “They all felt the benefit of that,” McIntyre notes, “and wanted me on board for subsequent projects.”
Loyalty manifests in the trust that’s earned through repeated demonstration of work ethic, commitment to a shared mission, and allegiance to the firm. Winning a sponsor’s trust doesn’t require becoming a toady. On the contrary, showing that you can ultimately be entrusted with a leadership position depends on demonstrating that you will stand up to a superior when necessary.
Tiger Tyagarajan, CEO of Genpact, attributes his success to the bond he cultivated with Pramod Bhasin, his boss and sponsor for 17 years. Because of a deep trust built on shared values, Bhasin would listen when Tyagarajan pushed back. “I’d say, ‘Here’s my logic on this,’ and show him that I understood his logic but also show him why it wouldn’t work. He was amenable to that as long as I kept it private,” Tyagarajan recalls. “We had very different styles, and sometimes we simply agreed to disagree. But in the end, I think that what he valued in me was the very thing that complemented him.”
Yet performance and loyalty are not enough to get a sponsor’s notice, let alone convince them to invest in you. You’ll need to differentiate yourself from your peers. You’ll need to develop and deploy a personal brand. You’ll need to do something or be someone who can extend a sponsor’s reach and influence by adding distinct value.
What Do You Bring to the Table?
Some protégés add value through their technical expertise or social media savvy. Others derive an enduring identity through fluency in another language or culture. Consider acquiring skills that your job doesn’t require but that set you apart—and make you a stronger contributor to a team. For example, Tyagarajan had a special ability to build teams from scratch and coach raw talent—an invaluable asset as the firm transitioned from a startup into a multinational infotech giant.
One 25-year-old sales rep, noting her potential sponsor “wasn’t exactly current in terms of the internet,” took pains to brief her on job candidates whose résumés were packed with technical jargon and references to social media innovation that she simply couldn’t understand, let alone assess for relevance. “I just helped educate her so she didn’t come off as some kind of dinosaur,” says the rep, whose tactful teaching gained her a powerful promoter.
Lastly, don’t be shy about your successes. Alert potential sponsors to your valuable assets. Since it can be difficult to toot your own horn, work with peers to sing each other’s praises. A vice president at Merrill Lynch described how she and three other women, all high-potential leaders in different divisions of the firm, would meet monthly for lunch to chat about their projects and accomplishments. The idea was to be ready to talk each other up, should an occasion arise. “So if my boss were to complain about some problem he’s struggling to solve, I could say, ‘You know, you should talk to Lisa in global equities, because she’s had a lot of experience with that,’” this vice president explained. “It turned out to be a really effective tactic, because we could be quite compelling about each other’s accomplishments.” In short order, all four women acquired sponsors and were promoted.
Finding the Right Sponsor
When scanning the horizon for would-be sponsors—and yes, you need more than one—be strategic. Efficacy trumps affinity; you’re looking for an ally, not a friend. Your targeted sponsor may exercise authority in a way you don’t care to copy, but it’s their clout, not their style, that will turbocharge your career. Their powerful arsenal includes the high-level contacts they can introduce you to, the career-advancing stretch assignments they can help you land, their broad perspective when they give critical feedback—all ready to be deployed on behalf of their protégés.
Look beyond your immediate circle of mentors and managers. While you should, of course, impress your boss—who can be a valuable connection to potential sponsors—seek out someone with real power to change your career. Would-be sponsors in large organizations are ideally two levels above you with line of sight to your role; in smaller firms, they’re either the founder or president or are part of their inner circle.
Finding the right person to highlight your accomplishments and push you to the top is a hard task, but it’s necessary if you want to break out of the “permanent lieutenant” doldrums. Just doing good work isn’t enough. Take the first step and make yourself not only a hard worker, but an emerging leader worthy of a sponsor.
Adapted from “Make Yourself Sponsor-Worthy,” on hbr.org, February 6, 2014 (product #H00NIB) and “The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor,” on hbr.org, September 11, 2013 (product #H00B7X).