Most healthcare professionals have been told to find a mentor. Far fewer have been told to find a sponsor, and many could not explain the difference. That gap matters. Mentors help you grow. Sponsors help you advance. Careers that stall often have plenty of the first and very little of the second.
What mentorship looks like
A mentor is a trusted advisor who shares perspective, helps you think through decisions and offers honest feedback. Mentorship can be formal or informal, short-term or lifelong, and it can come from someone at any level, including peers and people outside your organization.
- Talking through a difficult conversation with your team before you have it.
- Getting feedback on a presentation to senior leadership.
- Understanding the unwritten rules of a new organization.
- Deciding whether to pursue a graduate degree or a lateral move.
What sponsorship looks like
A sponsor is a senior leader who uses their own credibility to advocate for you, often in rooms you are not in. Sponsors recommend you for stretch assignments, put your name forward for promotions, introduce you to decision-makers and vouch for your readiness. Sponsorship carries risk for the sponsor, which is exactly why it is so powerful.
The research distinction is clear. In a widely cited Harvard Business Review analysis drawing on a Catalyst study of more than 4,000 high-potential professionals, Herminia Ibarra, Nancy Carter and Christine Silva found that women received more mentoring than men yet were promoted less often. The authors concluded that what was missing was sponsorship, the form of support that involves active advocacy for advancement.
“Mentors help you grow. Sponsors help you advance.”
Why sponsorship changes outcomes
Research from the Center for Talent Innovation, led by economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett, found that women with sponsors were 27% more likely to ask for a raise and 22% more likely to ask for stretch assignments than women without them. Sponsorship does not just open doors. It changes how professionals see their own readiness.
Healthcare is no exception. A 2024 scoping review in the Journal of General Internal Medicine examined 16 studies of sponsorship in academic medicine. Ten described sponsorship as critical for career advancement, and most of the qualitative studies found that women had less access to it. The authors also noted how few studies examined sponsorship for professionals from underrepresented groups, a gap that matters for an industry still working to diversify its leadership. When The Chartis Group and NAHSE published Leading While Black in 2021, they found that Black leaders held only about 10% of hospital C-suite positions.
How to cultivate a mentor
- Be specific: Ask for guidance on a defined challenge rather than a vague request to be mentored.
- Look in more than one place: Peers, leaders in other departments and professional association members all bring different perspectives.
- Make it easy: Come prepared, respect their time and follow up on what you tried.
- Build a personal board: Different mentors can help with career strategy, technical skills and navigating culture.
How to earn a sponsor
Sponsorship is rarely requested outright. It is earned through performance and visibility, then cultivated through trust.
- Deliver results that are visible: Sponsors stake their reputation on you, so they need evidence of your work.
- Make your ambitions known: A potential sponsor cannot advocate for a goal you have never shared.
- Seek work that crosses boundaries: Committees, system projects and cross-functional initiatives put you in front of senior leaders.
- Make your sponsor look good: Follow through on every opportunity they open, and keep them informed.
A note for senior leaders
Executives often mentor generously but sponsor narrowly, advocating mainly for people whose backgrounds resemble their own. Intentional sponsorship is one of the most direct tools leaders have to build a more representative pipeline. Consider who you have recommended for a stretch assignment in the last year, whose name you put forward when a role opened, and whether that list reflects the talent in your organization.
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