How to use sponsorship to drive career progression, with Rosalind Chow
EVEN Careers Podcast | Rosalind Chow | Sponsors and how they can transform careers
In this episode of the EVEN Careers podcast, EVEN co-founder Ellen Sullivan chats with the wonderful Rosalind Chow, Associate Professor of Organisational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University and author of ‘The Doors You Can Open A New Way to Network, Build Trust, and Use Your Influence to Create a More Inclusive Workplace’.
In this conversation we explore Rosalind’s expert view of sponsorship, one of the most powerful, yet overlooked drivers of career progression. If you’re looking for sponsors or seeking to understand how to be a sponsor, this episode will be a game changer for you.
We talk about:
the importance differences between mentorship and sponsorship
how career success is not just about being a high performer, but being seen as one
the best way to attract and gain sponsors
and the surprisingly simple sponsorship acts that can elevate both other people's careers and your own
Here’s some of the key takeaways from the conversation:
Mentorship changes you. Sponsorship changes how others see you.
Rosalind draws a sharp line between two things most of us treat as the same, mentorship and sponsorship. A mentor works with you, gives feedback, coaches you through tricky situations and helps you grow. A sponsor works on everyone else, they advocate for you and provide visibility of your work to others.
“Mentors help turn you into a strong performer, but sponsors are the ones who help you get seen as a strong performer.”
It is the difference between being good at your job and being known for it. You can be an exceptional employee, but if nobody else sees it, it may not help for where your career goes next. Mentors and sponsors are not mutually exclusive but the outcomes they produce are different.
Why anyone can be a sponsor
The common assumption is that you need power to sponsor someone. Rosalind says sponsorship runs on status, the respect and admiration others have for you, not just on control over resources.
This means leaders across a business can practice sponsorship as a behaviour, creating momentum for progression.
"Anyone can be a sponsor. The reason sponsorship works is because of status, not necessarily because of power."
The people we trust are the ones whose word carries influence, whatever their title.
Managers grow their reputation for attracting talent through sponsorship
Rosalind points to research showing that managers who consistently elevate their people build a reputation as genuine developers of talent. Word travels, and the best performers start wanting to work for them.
"Managers who are consistently good at elevating their high performers, such that they actually end up leaving that person's team and going off and doing great things on their own, those managers have great reputations within their organisations. They're seen as developers of people, which is huge as a leadership skill. And word gets around. The high quality performers in the organisation are all going to want to work with that manager."
How to find a sponsor? By becoming one.
If finding a sponsor is career critical, how do you find one? It can feel daunting and intimidating. It’s a question Rosalind gets asked a lot “How can I find a sponsor?” But asking someone to sponsor you puts you in a position of lower power and makes the whole relationship feel transactional. Rosalind’s door-opening alternative is to spend that energy sponsoring other people instead.
"To get a sponsor, be a sponsor first," she said. When you talk people up, make introductions and share their wins, they remember it and look for ways to return the favour. You also become known as the person who lifts others.
About Rosalind Chow
Rosalind M. Chow is an associate professor of organisational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University, where her research, teaching, and writing explore how people navigate and shape the social systems that configure power, status, and inequality.
Drawing on social psychological and organisational scholarship, her work illuminates not just how hierarchies sustain inequities in workplaces and communities, but how individuals can thoughtfully use their social connections to elevate others and expand opportunities for those who have been historically marginalized. These lessons are distilled in her book, The Doors You Can Open , which was shortlisted for The Non-Obvious Book Awards and highlighted as one of The Next Big Ideas Club's 2025 must-reads.
Rosalind draws on her academic expertise in her work as faculty director and her teaching has also been recognised by Poets & Quants’ Best 40 Under 40 Business School Professors.