Hewlett - Forget a mentor, find a sponsor: the new way to fast-track your career

A must-read for any ambitious young woman (or man) who wants to get ahead. Sylvia Ann Hewlett provides actionable, hands-on advicebacked up with hard data and revealing stories from business leadersfor navigating the modern competitive workplace. Take her advice and run with it to the top.

Anne Fulenwider, Editor in Chief, Marie Claire

A mentor gives you advice about how to get ahead. A sponsor has power and uses it to get you a great assignment. Women are often overmentored and undersponsored. Sylvia Ann Hewletts book tells you all you need to know about how to make sponsorship work for you and for your company.

Herminia Ibarra, Cora Chaired Professor of Leadership and Learning, Insead

Sylvia Ann Hewlett is enormously insightful and always one step ahead. Reading this book makes it so obvious that having a sponsornot a mentormakes the critical difference, and I recommend it to both those aspiring to leadership roles and those looking to encourage the next generation of female talent.

Helena Morrissey, CEO, Newton Investment Management Limited; Chairman, Opportunity Now; and founder, 30% Club

This is a breakthrough book. Sylvia Ann Hewlett is challenging the entrenched orthodoxy that still prevents women and minority talent from scaling the heights. She argues convincingly that progress is more often a product of partnership than a solo success and tells us exactly how to make it happen. This study assembles hard evidence, compelling stories, and persuasive analysis and is invaluable to anyone who wants to get beyond do-gooding to get the most out of their diverse talent.

Trevor Phillips, former Chair, UK Equality and Human Rights Commission

For women climbing the ladder, Sylvia Hewlett has identified a key piece of the puzzle. High-potential women need sponsors who will not only provide advice but also actively create opportunities for their protges to shine and advance. Hard work and merit are simply not enough to make it to the top.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, author, Why Women Still
Cant Have It All; Bert G. Kerstetter 66
University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University; and former Director of Policy Planning, US Department of State

This book takes executive development to a new place. By highlighting the key role sponsorship can play, Sylvia Ann Hewlett offers good career advice for individuals and provides a road map that companies can use to help ensure diversity at the top.

Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T

We know the value of mentors to young professionals climbing the ladder, but Sylvia Ann Hewlett hits the mark in highlighting the tremendous power sponsors bring to that reach for the top. This is a significant work.

James S. Turley, Chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young

A powerful and urgent book. Sylvia Ann Hewlett demonstrates the heft of sponsors and shows how women and people of color can win sponsorship and take their place at decision-making tables. Heterogeneity at the top is not only fair, it unleashes creativity and the power of difference.

Cornel West, Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary

This book represents an unusual coming together of the personal and the professional, and it gives me particular pleasure to acknowledge the extensive help Ive received from family and colleagues.

First and foremost Id like to thank my husband Richard Weinert and our children, Shira, Lisa, David, Adam, and Emma. Their generous love has buoyed my spirits and lightened my load during the months Ive spent wrapped up in this book. I am deeply appreciative of their support and understanding.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Melinda Marshall. Her deep knowledge of this subject matter and stellar writing skills contributed enormously to this book. I am extremely grateful to her.

My senior team Peggy Shiller, Lauren Leader-Chive, Laura Sherbin, and Karen Sumberg have also been extraordinary. In particular, Peggys management prowess and Lauras quantitative skills were critical in meeting the ambitious deadlines of this fast-track book. I thank them both.

Im deeply grateful to the senior executives (and their companies) who underwrote and helped shape the survey research that underpins this bookJennifer Christie, Kerrie Peraino, and Anr Williams (American Express), Debbie Storey (AT&T), Geri Thomas (Bank of America), Aimee George Leary (Booz Allen Hamilton), Erika DEgidio (Bristol-Myers Squibb), Barbara Adachi (Deloitte), Dwight Robinson (Freddie Mac), Monica Poindexter (Genentech), Rosalind Hudnell (Intel), Fiona Cannon (Lloyds Banking Group), Keisha Smith and Jeffrey Siminoff (Morgan Stanley), Patricia Fili-Krushel, Patricia Langer, and Craig Robinson (NBCUniversal). Their generous support has gone well beyond funding. Over the past two years these corporate leaders provided precious access and lent wise counsel. A big thank you.

I am appreciative of the support of the co-chairs of the Task Force for Talent InnovationCaroline Carr, Anthony Carter, Valerie Grillo, Deborah Elam, Anne Erni, Patricia Fili-Krushel, Gail Fierstein, Cassandra Frangos, Sandy Hoffman, Patricia Langer, Carolyn Buck Luce, Leena Nair, Lisa Garcia Quiroz, Craig Robinson, Lucy Sorrentini, Karyn Twaronite, and Melinda Wolfefor their belief in the importance of this study, and their ongoing dedication to the mission of our organization.

A special word of thanks to Melinda Merino and Adi Ignatius of Harvard Business Review. Their commitment to this project was critical to getting this book off the ground. Thanks also to Courtney Cashman and Jennifer Waring at HBR for valuable contributions on the editorial front. I am hugely indebted to my daughter Lisa Weinert, the literary agent for this book, who encouraged me to transform dense research into much more narrative-driven prose. Her advice was spot on.

A word of thanks to Jennifer Abbondanza, Noni Allwood, Anita Bafna, Ella Bell, Wendy Berk, Cherie Booth Blair, Gail Blanke, Fleur Bothwick, Ken Bouver, Steve Burke, James Charrington, Kenneth Chenault, Sharda Cherwoo, Joanna Coles, Audrey Connolly, Jo Diamond, Danica Dilligard, Melinda Dodd, Brady Dougan, Ed Gadsden, Kent Gardiner, Eileen Garvey, Buck Gee, Joss Gill, Ed Gilligan, Kate Grussing, Sunita Holzer, Mellody Hobson, Linda Huber, Jane Hyun, Anne Jenkins, Charlotte Jones, Mike Kacsmar, Tasha Kersey, Laila Khan, Anand Kini, Sallie Krawcheck, Julita Lange, Paige Lillard, Janet Loesberg, Sian McIntyre, Tim Melville-Ross, Yvette Miley, Stac Millender, Eleanor Mills, Helena Morrissey, Rajashree Nambiar, Iesha ODeneal, Katherine Phillips, Trevor Phillips, Merima Platt, Adam Quinton, David Richardson, Steve Richardson, Rosa Ramos-Kwok, Farrell Redwine, Joy-Ann Reid, Dagmar Rosa-Bjorkeson, Jeanne Rosario, Amy Schulman, Todd Sears, Jane Shaw, Veronica Sheehan, Diana Solash, Xaio-Yu Song, Debora Spar, Ruth Spellman, Mark Stephanz, Joe Stringer, Peninah Thomson, Priya Trauber, Julie Watson, Dan Wildman, Anne Williams, Donna Wilson, and Shawna Wilsonand all the women and men who took part in focus groups, interviews, and Insights In-Depth sessions.