Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding President of the Center
for Talent Innovation (formerly Center
for Work - Life Policy), describes in a 2011 Harvard Business Review article that a sponsor is someone who uses chips on behalf of protégés, advocates
for promotions and does at least two of the following seven things
for them:
expands the protégés» perception of what they can do, connects them to senior leaders, promotes their visibility, connects them to
career advancement opportunities, advises them on how to look and act the part, facilitates external contacts, and provides
career advice.