Mentoring is essential but not sufficient: sponsor women for leadership roles

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to highlight the importance of sponsorship in the career advancement of women and how it can also promote diversity in leadership. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses the PwC’s Breakthrough program illustration to demonstrate how the potential of sponsorship can be leveraged to enhance diversity. Findings: Research in leadership, diversity, and inclusion indicates that the leadership gender gap is a major challenge faced by organizations. Most of the organizations employ mentorship as a strategy for women’s career development. However, it is difficult to assess the measurable impact of this on the careers of women and how it could help in improving diversity in leadership roles. The findings suggest that sponsorship, which is an action-oriented strategy can complement mentoring and bring desired results. Originality/value: The paper analyses the role of mentoring and sponsorship in the career development of women. The paper also highlights the differences between mentorship and sponsorship. Furthermore, it demonstrates the importance of sponsorship in promoting diversity with the help of PwC’s illustration.