Does this scare you?
When it comes to living your career potential, what scares you?
We all have fears. That we won’t earn what we deserve. Won’t find meaningful work. Won’t live your career potential. Won’t make the impact you want. Won’t ever crack the leadership club.
It’s almost October, the beginning of the last quarter - aka SPOOKY SEASON is upon us.
Over the course of the month, we’ll look at some career fears and ask you to let us know what’s keeping you up at night.
First up, cracking the leadership club.
There's an unspoken secret to success at work beyond doing a good job… it’s graduating from listening to mentors to enlisting a sponsor.
What is a sponsor? How is it different from a mentor?
In mentorship, a senior professional will lend advice to a mentee; sponsors are next level: a sponsor will actively go to bat for their protege - make intros, put in a good word, share resources - and that’s critical for the next leveling of your success.
Leaders actually help -- not just guiding -- the next generation. According to Forbes, here are a few benefits of having a sponsor:
It helps you raise your profile, both within and outside of your company.
- It enables the people around you to see you in a new light.
- It aids in making strategic connections to find new opportunities.
- It builds your confidence. A sponsor may see something in you that you don’t see in yourself.
One of the reasons I became an executive coach, and developed my Uplevel Your Leadership Program, was in hopes of guiding womxn to form the mindset, skills & network to become the leaders who shape workplaces that work for womxn and underrepresented people. That’s the kind of sponsor you want to find, one who will advocate for not only you, ut other ambitious womxn like yourself.
As a next-level leader, networking is always a habit you’ll need. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t find the perfect sponsor, it takes time, and it’s a good muscle to continually strengthen. 🚀
Need help upleveling your leadership skills to the next stage of your corporate career? Unsure how to take the next step, I can help with that, reach out to me here: www.acelectric.co/work