How to Leverage Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Allyship to Support Your Career Trajectory
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"Mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship are vital for women looking to advance in their careers."
This was one of the opening remarks from Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president of Georgia Gwinnett College and vice chair of the ACE Women's Network Executive Council, during a June webinar from the Women's Leadership Speaker Series.
The series is the product of a collaboration between ACE (the American Council on Education) and the ACE Women's Network Executive Council. This particular session, entitled "Lessons in Leadership: Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Allyship," brought together experienced higher ed leaders to share examples of each of these relationships and best practices.
The session was designed with women in mind and focused on how they can use these relationships to advance in their careers and how others can help to create opportunities for them. However, much of the advice shared during the webinar can also be applied broadly to career advancement.
Here's a look at some of the key takeaways:
Understand the Distinction between Mentors, Allies, and Sponsors
At the beginning of the session, Kim Lee, director of community engagement for ACE Connect, helped set the stage for the conversation by providing definitions for mentors, sponsors, and allies. These three terms are often conflated, pointed out Joseph, who moderated the session.
The definitions provided were:
- Mentors: "Those who serve as guides or sherpas to help women reach the summits of their leadership journeys."
- Sponsors: "Those individuals who utilize their spheres of influence to provide exposure, recommend promotions, and create opportunities for women."
- Allies: "Those who demonstrate their commitment to equity and inclusion and proactively support women from underrepresented groups (like those of the global majority and the LGBTQ group)."
Be Clear about Your Goals
Joseph and one of the panelists, Dr. Yolanda Barbier Gibson, pointed out that many of their mentors throughout their careers looked a lot like fellow panelist Dr. James Applegate, a white man.
Applegate is a consultant and former visiting professor for the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University.
Barbier Gibson explained that while these mentorships were valuable, one of her goals upon joining the ACE Fellows Program, a leadership development program that includes mentorship, was to find a female mentor.
Applegate echoed the importance of the mentor and mentee considering their goals and establishing them upfront.
He also cautioned, "When you're thinking about mentoring, don't always think about it as climbing the ladder. Upward mobility is fine -- not that being a college president is not wonderful, Jann -- but there are many ways to exert impact and power, and important roles for women and people of color to play in higher education."
Using the example of flat organizations in the corporate world, he shared that oftentimes the goal of mentorship is simply doing your current job better.
Lee summed this up well in the session's closing remarks, calling this "growing in place."
"Sometimes mentorship is about doing a better job, blooming right where you are planted," she said.
Applegate said it's important to consider "where you want to go, what kind of mentors you want to have, and what kind of mentoring relationship you need to have." He recommended thinking about this first individually and then developing your relationships with a clear sense of those goals and outcomes.
When considering what you need, reflect on the definitions above.
People often ask for mentorship when they are really looking for a sponsor or ally. Dr. Melissa L. Gruys, dean of Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University, offered practical advice about how to ask for what you want.
"Be very straightforward in asking someone 'this is what I really need some help with right now,' or 'I need some perspective,' or 'I'd like your advice about this,'" she said.
Sometimes, Future Leaders Need a Nudge in the Right Direction
The panelists shared that there are many higher education professionals capable of leadership who simply haven't recognized that ability in themselves yet or even stopped to consider it. In fact, Joseph and Barbier Gibson shared that their career paths were shaped in large part by someone else recognizing and advocating for their advancement (i.e., sponsorship).
While some professionals may be bold enough to ask for sponsorship, it can also work the other way around. Colleagues or managers should keep an eye out for untapped talent and potential and offer their sponsorship, the panelists explained.
Leaders and mentors need "to think about who should be sponsored at this moment," advised Gruys. "Go to individual faculty and say, 'I've seen you do a really good job on this particular committee -- I would like you to consider becoming a chair of your department.'"
If they are interested, she recommends discussing their current competencies and the ones they need to gain to advance into that role.
Some campuses have programs to identify potential leaders, lift them up, and build that pipeline. One example Joseph shared is the University System of Georgia's Executive Leadership Institute.
However, if your campus doesn't have a formal program, Applegate recommends finding a good model and trying to implement one of your own. This will not only benefit your employees but also ensure there is a wealth of talent ready for future staffing needs.
The Importance of Raising Your Hand and Seeking Out Opportunities
Throughout the session, the panelists stressed the importance of making yourself known as an aspiring leader. Those who can offer mentorship, sponsorship, or allyship may not know that you are interested and, therefore, can't help you.
Barbier Gibson said, "It's important to raise your hand, say you're ready for leadership and you're interested and you're open to that opportunity for mentorship."
Applegate added not to be bashful about asking to participate in formal leadership programs that already exist on your campus or through an association.
Outside of formal opportunities, the panelists advised aspiring leaders to lean into opportunities to collaborate with their peers, learn about other departments, expand their networks, and learn how other institutions are tackling higher ed's pressing issues. There are many ways to do this, but a great place to start is getting involved in your state network for women in higher education.
When it comes to taking on leadership roles, Gruys encouraged webinar participants not to give up.
"If you really want a leadership role, there are a lot of leadership roles out there and if your own university isn't a place that you're able to have that opportunity, then you need to consider another university," she said.
She also explained that there are many informal leadership roles you can participate in, such as chairing a task force on campus, and encouraged participants to "think broadly."
Remember
As Joseph pointed out in the webinar, female leaders face the unique challenge of navigating traditionally male-dominated fields. It can be a lonely path, but leaning into opportunities for mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship -- and being strategic about which type of these relationships you need and with whom -- will ensure you have the support you need on this journey.
