Where are you going on your leadership journey?
What vision are you working toward?
Having a vision can accelerate your career by creating positive energy, focus, and momentum. It’s also a key for finding another type of career accelerator – a sponsor.
A sponsor is a senior leader who “goes to bat” for you, advocates on your behalf, and provides support. Sponsors also influence important decisions regarding pay, assignments, and promotions.
According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of (Forget a Mentor) Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career, “Sponsorship is the mechanism by which people of vision attain their goals, which is why no one – male or female, millennial or boomer, start-up employee or multi-national manager – can afford to dismiss it or miss out on it.”
Because sponsorship is a reciprocal relationship, vision helps potential sponsors better understand a leader’s career aspirations and identify synergies with their own goals and interests. Having a vision is the first step to finding a sponsor.
Creating a vision starts with asking questions:
- Where do you want to be, in terms of place? What does your future workspace look like? What’s the view?
- With whom do you see yourself working? What types of conversations are you having?
- What type of work are you doing? What transformation or change are you driving?
When contemplating these questions, allow yourself to dream. Once your vision is outlined, the next step is a diagnostic – outlining your strengths, experiences, and unique brand attributes. You’ll assess where you’re at and what support you need.
Successful leaders need sponsors. To help leaders in your organization find sponsors, help them build their visions.
If you could use some help building a vision for your leadership journey, give ECC a call at +1.847.920.0190.
