THE CASE: The Pipeline That Leaks
Priya, CHRO, reviews her leadership pipeline. Mid-level: 40% women, 30% minorities. Senior level: 15% women, 5% minorities.
She asks: "Are we not promoting the right people, or is there a systemic barrier?"
The answer is the latter. When you control for performance, the gap persists.
The barrier is sponsorship, visibility, and stretch opportunities.
Women and minorities get: Fewer high-visibility projects, less executive sponsorship, less confident advocacy in promotion discussions, more "prove it again" feedback (even after proving it).
Mentorship ≠ Sponsorship:
- Mentor: Gives advice, helps you develop
- Sponsor: Advocates for you in rooms you're not in, opens doors, nominates you for opportunities
Women and minorities have mentors. They lack sponsors.
From Good to Great: "Get the right people in the right seats." But you can't get there if you're not even considered for the seat.
The Evidence
87 women promoted per 100 men (McKinsey, 2023)
Women 30% less likely to get stretch assignments (Catalyst)
Minorities 20% less mentored by senior leaders (DDI)
Sponsorship: 3X higher promotion rate (HBR)
The Intentional Sponsorship Framework
Step 1: Promotion Audit (90 minutes)
Review your last 10 promotions:
- Who got promoted? (Gender, ethnicity, tenure, performance)
- Who nominated them?
- What "stretch project" prepared them?
- Who were the other candidates?
Look for patterns: Were women/minorities represented? If not, why not? Did they lack readiness, or lack visibility?
Step 2: Sponsor Assignment (2 hours)
For every high-potential woman/minority, assign a sponsor (not mentor).
Sponsor criteria:
- Senior leader with influence
- Willing to advocate actively
- Can open doors
Sponsor responsibilities:
- Nominate for high-visibility projects
- Advocate in promotion discussions
- Introduce to key stakeholders
- Coach on visibility
Step 3: Stretch Project Assignment (1 hour)
Identify projects that are:
- High-visibility (CEO/board knows about it)
- Challenging (outside comfort zone)
- Cross-functional (builds network)
Assign women/minorities to these deliberately.
The Experiment: "Intentional Sponsorship Program"
For 12 months:
- Identify 5 high-potential women/minorities
- Assign each a sponsor (senior leader)
- Get them stretch assignments
- Track promotions at end of year
Measure: Promotion rate vs. historical average, visibility/network growth, performance on stretch projects.
Expected outcome: 40-50% higher promotion rate for sponsored individuals.
Diverse Leadership ROI
Gender diversity: 25% higher profitability (McKinsey)
Ethnic diversity: 36% higher profitability (McKinsey)
Women in leadership: 2.5X higher engagement (Gallup)
Sources & References
- Collins, Jim. Good to Great. HarperBusiness, 2001.
- McKinsey & Company. Women in the Workplace 2023.
- Catalyst. The Sponsor Effect. 2022.
- Harvard Business Review. The Sponsorship Dividend. 2022.
Key Takeaways
- The promotion ceiling isn't about women and minorities not being ready—it's about them not being seen
- Mentorship ≠ Sponsorship—sponsors advocate in rooms you're not in
- Create intentional sponsorship programs
- Assign high-visibility stretch projects deliberately
- The gap isn't talent—it's opportunity