On July 7, Karin Wellbrock, executive coach at Kay Group, held the second installment of her Women in Leadership webinar series. She discussed the role that sponsors play in the growth of women in leadership roles and how sponsorship & coaching must enable and encourage female professionals to achieve their goals and secure a seat in the executive suite.
Karin began by giving a recap of the previous webinar, For CEO’s it Must Be Personal.
Elevating Candidates
Karin went on to discuss some of the typical challenges that women face in terms of their professional development. It was revealed that unhelpful feedback is one of the main ones. She shared that 66% of women receive negative feedback on their personality in performance reviews, as opposed to the small figure of 1% for men.
Women are often over-mentored but under-sponsored. While mentors offer guidance, sponsors—typically senior leaders—advocate for women, securing key opportunities to advance their careers.
To achieve this, the members of the leadership team should develop a sponsor mindset.
Coaching shifts mindsets and uncovers unconscious barriers. Coaches help sponsors identify challenges and grow into more supportive leaders. Karin highlighted key sponsor mindset traits: authenticity, curiosity, a growth mindset, ownership of future leaders, and the ability to recognize and develop high-potential talent.
Coaching and Development
In her research Karin identified three types of sponsors:
- The Pay it Forward—a leader who is a genuine people developer
- The My Reputation First—a leader who is selective in supporting others and plays it safe
- The Not My Cup of Tea—a leader who relentlessly business focused
Coaching, said Karin, can assist in changing the mindsets of individual leaders. To accelerate the development of young professionals, sponsors must have the desire to develop people, have the skills to evaluate people, and access to opportunities for growth. As a coach, Karin works with both the sponsors and the candidates to achieve their development goals.
The “Pay it Forward” type of sponsor would be the ideal sponsor, Karin explained. In order to become one you should check your mindset and critically review your own barriers and fears, and ask yourself why you are not stepping up and advocating for others.
It Starts at the Top…
The CEO or country head drives the sponsorship mindset by providing direction, initiation, and encouragement. As discussed in the last webinar, DEI agendas progress faster when leaders personally commit to inclusion, strengthening their influence on the organization. Additionally, executives need a shared understanding of the sponsor’s role and skills. Coaching helps develop this mindset, fostering a genuine commitment to advocating for young female professionals and building a strong succession plan.
As a leader you have a responsibility to sustain an organization, and sponsoring can be a way to develop more diverse leaders who meet the future challenges.
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