Breaking Barriers: The Critical Role of Executive Sponsorship for Women in Corporate Leadership

Sponsorship is not just beneficial – it’s essential.

Breaking Barriers: The Critical Role of Executive Sponsorship for Women in Corporate Leadership

Sponsorship is not just beneficial – it’s essential.

Today, women represent only 30% of all C-suite roles, up from 29% last year, yet still hold only 6% of CEO positions¹. Such slow progress underscores a persistent and troubling issue: reaching senior leadership remains disproportionately challenging for women.

One of the most critical tools for breaking through this glass ceiling is executive sponsorship – powerful advocacy by influential leaders who actively champion their protégés’ careers.

Sponsorship differs from mentorship; it’s not merely about giving advice but involves using one’s own influence and capital to advocate actively for another’s advancement.

The Power and Necessity of Executive Sponsorship

A study by the Harvard Business Review ² found that women with sponsors are 20% more likely to be promoted compared to those without sponsors. Sponsorship directly impacts access to opportunities, visibility in strategic roles, and financial rewards. Indeed, sponsored individuals typically earn 11.6% more than their unsponsored counterparts³.

Visibility is particularly crucial. Women with sponsors are 167% more likely to be offered high-profile, stretch assignments – key opportunities to demonstrate readiness for C-suite roles⁴. Yet, visibility itself is unequally distributed. Approximately 33% of men reported significant visibility to C-suite executives on key projects, compared to only 25% of women⁵.

Without sponsorship, women remain hidden talent – competent but unseen by those making critical promotion decisions.

Why Sponsorship is Essential - Understanding Homophily

A critical barrier to sponsorship for women and minorities is homophily, the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with people who are similar in race, gender, or other demographic characteristics.

Alarmingly, 71% of sponsors select protégés of the same race or gender⁴. This pattern perpetuates existing leadership demographics, disproportionately benefiting those who are already in the majority (eg white men in the US/Europe, or Indian men in India etc).

For women, particularly women of color in the US/Europe for example, overcoming homophily demands intentional efforts to secure sponsorship relationships. Left unaddressed, homophily not only stifles diversity but also limits organizational innovation and profitability.

Real-World Implications - Conversations from the Field

These challenges aren’t abstract – they manifest in real experiences:

“I told my boss I was looking to gain additional experience in another business function, but my boss took offence, believing it showed a lack of loyalty.”
Without a sponsor, honest career discussions can lead to misinterpretation. Sponsors help frame ambitions positively, championing growth as beneficial rather than threatening.
“I’ve been passed over for promotion multiple times despite encouragement to apply.” 
Sponsorship moves beyond encouragement, actively advocating during promotion discussions to highlight strengths and readiness.
“I want to increase my visibility in stretch projects – how do I get them?”
Sponsors are gatekeepers for visibility, ensuring promising individuals are placed strategically to showcase their capabilities.

71% of sponsors select protégés of the same race or gender.

Practical Steps to Secure Sponsorship

Clarify Your Career Goals: 
Sponsors require clear direction, not ambiguity. Define your objectives so your sponsor can effectively advocate for your desired path.

Increase Your Visibility: 
Sponsors champion those they know and trust. Actively seek opportunities to connect with senior leaders, join cross-functional projects, or participate in company-wide initiatives.

Demonstrate Your Value: 
Consistently showcase your performance, reliability, and the measurable impact of your work. Sponsors invest their credibility in those who reliably deliver results.

Take the Initiative: 
Proactively pursue stretch assignments. Communicate with your HR team or line manager about your aspiration for sponsorship and ask for support in establishing these connections.

Seek Win-Win Alignments: 
Identify sponsors whose strengths, ambitions, and roles align with your own career aspirations, creating mutually beneficial relationships.

A Call to Action

Sponsorship is not just beneficial – it’s essential. Companies must actively disrupt patterns of homophily and establish structures ensuring equitable sponsorship opportunities for women and minorities. With intentional advocacy and equitable sponsorship, organizations can harness their full talent potential, driving innovation, profitability, and inclusive leadership cultures.

The barriers are real, but so are the solutions. Let’s champion sponsorship as the powerful lever it is – transforming individual careers and organizational outcomes alike.

Find out more about WeQual, and how we can support your organization, or contact us for a chat.

References

¹ McKinsey & Company, Women in the Workplace Report (2024)
² Harvard Business Review, “A Lack of Sponsorship Is Keeping Women from Advancing into Leadership” (2019)
³ Catalyst, “The Financial Impact of Sponsorship on Women’s Careers” (2022)
⁴ Center for Talent Innovation, “The Power of Sponsorship” (2022)
⁵ UCLA Division of Academic Affairs, “Visibility and Opportunity in Executive Career Paths” (2021)

Thanks to our Contributor:

Mark Bateman

CEO at WeQual

Mark is also a leading executive coach, driving global inclusive leadership development. He empowers senior executives within Fortune Global companies to achieve measurable impact, influence and transformational outcomes.