Via LeadDev

“I have found that the distinction between these skills is really important because we’re going to need different flavors of support as we navigate all of the different challenges in our careers. My goal is to help paint a picture of the different kinds of support that you can get from the people around you.”

— Mentorship & Sponsorship | Lara Hogan | LeadDev Berlin 2024, watch at 3:43

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Most people ask for mentorship when they actually need sponsorship. Or they sit through advice when what they need is someone asking them better questions.

The difference matters, and Lara Hogan, Engineering Leader and Coach, lays it out precisely.

	Mentorship	Coaching	Sponsorship
What it is	Advice from someone who’s been there.	Guided self-discovery through questions.	Advocacy on your behalf.
What they do	Give advice from experience.	Ask questions to help you find your own answers.	Put your name forward for opportunities.
Where it happens	With you.	With you.	Behind closed doors, without you.
Best used when…	You’re new to a role or challenge and need someone who’s already navigated that terrain.	You need internal clarity on what you want, where you’re going, or what’s blocking you.	You need someone to put your name forward when opportunities arise.
Only works if…	The mentor’s personal values and context are close enough to yours; advice from the wrong context can backfire.	You’re willing to sit with questions and do the inner work, not just looking for a quick answer.	You’re doing visible work that’s worth sponsoring, with tangible impact and value.
What it looks like	“Here’s how I handled my first Call for Speakers submission to a conference.”	“What would it mean for you if more people heard your ideas?”	“I recommended you for this speaking gig. Can you do it?”

Of the three, only sponsorship is directly correlated to career advancement. Because sponsors are essentially putting their reputation on the line when they vouch for you, you need to create the right conditions to find one.

• Find someone who knows your work. Beyond your manager (who’s the most obvious sponsor), think about your broader network. Who else has seen the good work you do? Who could talk about how helpful you’ve been?
• Approach a potential sponsor with a specific request. Broad requests force the other person to do more work figuring out how to help. Specific requests make it easy to say yes and let them know how you want to grow. Example: “I’d like to be a manager of managers someday. Can I shadow a meeting you’re leading?”
• Keep your sponsor updated on your work and progress. Fill them in on what you’ve been working on, how your work has helped the team, the company, and others.

Lara also urges us to “keep adding to this crew of people who you can lean on as you grow.” Learn more about building a Voltron.

Practical Things to Try

Finding Support for Your Growth:

• Identify one person who skyrocketed your growth, and reflect on what specifically they did that helped.
• Make a list of people who could be part of your “manager Voltron” using these different categories: pushes you out of comfort zone, at a different experience level, a different industry, good at what you’re bad at.
• Reach out to one potential sponsor with a specific, tangible request for how you want to grow.
• End an unproductive mentorship relationship with a short, appreciative message.

Being a Sponsor to Others:

• Review your recent recommendations, referrals, and promotions. Do they reflect ingroup bias?
• Scan your daily communications for moments to sponsor someone (meetings, projects, speaking opportunities).
• Invite someone to shadow you at an important meeting.
• Tell someone’s manager about the great work they’re doing.
• Recommend someone who doesn’t share your background for a visible opportunity.

Improving How You Support Others:

• Practice the distinction: give advice (mentoring), ask curious questions (coaching), or put names forward (sponsoring).
• When someone brings you a problem, pause before giving advice. Ask if they want perspective or if they’d benefit more from questions.
• Keep a running list of people doing great work so their names come to mind when opportunities arise.