Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career

If youre interested in fast-tracking your career, what you need is a sponsor—a senior-level champion who believes in your potential and is willing to advocate for you as you pursue that next raise or promotion.

In this powerful yet practical book, economist and thought leader Sylvia Ann Hewlett—author of ten critically acclaimed books, including the groundbreaking Off-Ramps and On-Ramps—shows why sponsors are your proven link to success. Mixing solid data with vivid real-life narratives, Hewlett reveals the “two-way street” that makes sponsorship such a strong and mutually beneficial alliance. The seven-step map at the heart of this book allows you to chart your course toward your greatest goals.

Whether youre looking to lead a company or drive a community campaign, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor will help you forge the relationships that truly have the power to deliver you to your destination.

Traditional pathways to career progression have all but diminished. Mentors used to be the answer but in todays world, research shows that they are not enough to help you advance.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett—economist, prolific author, and originator of such prominent ideas as off-ramping and on-ramping—shows why sponsorship is the new route to success. What makes a sponsor different from a mentor is critical in terms of getting you into the role you covet and deserve.

A sponsor serves as your advocate—not just doling out advice but also offering the powerful backing inside the organization to get you where you want to go. From making important introductions to senior leaders to expanding the perception of what you can offer the organization, sponsors are your personal brand advocates in the workplace and in your industry at large. They inspire, propel, and protect—to help you progress.

Combining real examples with practical advice, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor shows how to build this important professional relationship, position yourself for leadership, and effectively work with your sponsor to achieve career success.