Mentorship and Relationships

Most professionals make this mistake... They believe their boss is responsible for their growth. ⇢ “If I do great work, my boss will recognize it.” ⇢ “If I stay loyal, my boss will ensure I get promoted.” ⇢ “If I just keep delivering, my boss will advocate for me.” That sounds logical. But that’s not how career growth works. ⇢ Your boss is focused on business and team's performance, not your career. ⇢ They might be a mentor, offering feedback and coaching. ⇢ They might even be an advocate, supporting you when they can. But that doesn’t make them your sponsor. Yesterday, I wrote about how hard work alone doesn’t drive career growth. Rutvij Shah left a comment that nailed it: "Find a sponsor/s who would advocate for you." That’s the difference no one talks about. Mentor vs. Sponsor vs. Boss ⇢ Your boss ensures the team delivers. A sponsor ensures your career moves forward. ⇢ A mentor gives advice. A sponsor creates opportunities. ⇢ A mentor supports your growth. A sponsor puts their reputation on the line for you. Ever seen someone less capable than you move ahead? They had a sponsor, someone fighting for them in rooms they weren’t even in. So, Where Do You Find a Sponsor? Sponsorship isn’t given. It’s earned. Look beyond your boss: Inside Your Company: ⇢ Your boss’s boss – They influence key decisions. ⇢ Senior leaders – They see strategic impact and potential. ⇢ Cross-functional executives – They recognize talent beyond their own teams. Outside Your Company: ⇢ Industry leaders – The right visibility opens doors. ⇢ Clients & business partners – If your work delivers, they’ll advocate for you. ⇢ Former managers & colleagues – They know your strengths and can vouch for you. These people can change your career, but only if they see a reason to. So, How Do You Earn Sponsorship? Sponsorship isn’t about being liked. It’s about being undeniable. ⇢ Deliver results that stand out. Sponsors back proven performers. ⇢ Make their job easier. Solve problems, and they’ll take a chance on you. ⇢ Be visible. Your work doesn’t speak for itself. You do. ⇢ Own your ambition. If they don’t know what you want, they can’t help. ⇢ Make it worth their while. Sponsorship is built on trust and mutual value. But, It isn't easy. For women, sponsorship is tougher: ⇢ Perhaps, sometimes, self-advocacy is seen as “aggressive.” ⇢ Fewer senior women leaders mean fewer sponsors. ⇢ Informal sponsorship networks often exclude them. For consultants, its different: ⇢ No company structure. No promotions. No internal sponsors. ⇢ Clients, industry leaders, and past colleagues become their sponsors. The only mantra is: ⇢ Build relationships. ⇢ Deliver great value. ⇢ Make yourself impossible to ignore. Sponsorship isn’t about working harder. It’s about making sure the right people see your impact. Who has been your sponsor? How did you find them? Or if you haven’t had one yet, where will you start looking? #careers #growth #sponsorships

"𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗘 𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗥?" Every week, I get asked, "Will you be my mentor?" Often, this question comes from people I've not met, which makes it somewhat awkward. Here's a fail-proof formula I've used for finding and approaching mentors effectively. Step 1: Have Clarity on Your Goals This clarity helps you identify potential mentors who can truly propel you forward. Your goals don't need to be long-term; they can be something immediate you need help with. Step 2: Start with Your Network Look within your existing network or extend to professionals you admire but haven't met yet. This could be through introductions or shared connections. Mentors don't always come with years of experience over you; peers can be just as insightful. Template Sentence: "I’ve noticed we share a common connection with [Mutual Connection’s Name]. I really admire how you handle [specific skill or achievement], and I’d love to learn from you about this." Step 3: Make a Specific Ask When reaching out, be specific and respect their time. Request a brief conversation, no longer than 30 minutes, focusing on a specific area where their expertise is evident. Template Sentence: "Your skills in [specific area] are truly inspiring. Could I have 30 minutes of your time to understand more about how you developed these abilities and to get your feedback on [specific topic]?" Step 4: Follow Up (The Most Important Step) Post-discussion, always follow up with a thank you message outlining how their advice helped you. This shows appreciation and reinforces the value of their guidance. Template Sentence: "Thank you for your invaluable advice on [topic discussed]. I applied your suggestions at [specific instance], and it made a significant difference. I’m very grateful for your help." Step 5: Continue the Relationship Mentorship isn’t a one-off interaction but a series of meaningful exchanges. Continue to engage your mentor with relevant questions and updates about your progress. Template Sentence: "I’ve recently faced a challenge similar to what we discussed before. Could I get your perspective on this new situation?" Avoid directly asking, "Will you be my mentor?" Instead, build the relationship through respectful, meaningful interactions, and always value their time and input. What's worked for you in seeking mentorship?

Mentorship has been a cornerstone of my career, but my approach to building a network of mentors has evolved over time. Early on, I thought the best mentors were those who mirrored my role—essentially a more successful, more experienced version of myself. But I’ve since realized that this myopic approach often misses the mark. Some of the most valuable mentors I’ve had weren’t in venture capital at all. They came from adjacent industries like asset management, tackling challenges that are analogous to mine but offering perspectives I couldn’t see from within my own field. Here’s why this works: 1. Outside perspectives reveal blind spots: Mentors outside your industry can identify dynamics in your business that might be invisible to you because you're too close to them. These insights are invaluable for seeing the bigger picture. 2. Diverse thinking adds depth: A broader, more diverse network of mentors exposes you to new ways of solving problems, offering frameworks and strategies you might not encounter within your immediate circle. Building a mentor base is critical, but diversity is key. Don’t just look for people who are “you in 20 years” with more success. Instead, seek mentors with fresh perspectives and different lenses. That’s where the real value lies.

Dear prospective PhD student, One of the most important factors that often does not get talked about enough is choosing the right supervisor for your PhD. You see, the supervisor-supervisee relationship is akin to a marriage. The same way a marriage can affect your life is the same way the supervisor-supervisee relationship can be a deciding factor as to whether or not you succeed in a PhD. Just like a marriage, you can have a 'good supervisor' who is not good for you as a student. The converse also applies where a student is not a good fit for supervisor As students, its not something we pay attention to at the start. The average student, particularly international student, is more focused on getting the admission and also securring funding that this important bit is left out. The truth is, as an international student with limited funding options, its difficult to pick & choose, and it all comes down to luck but not everyone gets lucky. If you observe seasoned supervisors/PIs, they are careful, and they pay attention to the type of students they select for their funding because of how important such relationship is to the supervisor too. If you are a prospective PhD and you ever find yourself with options, some of the things you can do are - 1. Speak to current or former students of the potential supervisor. They always have lived experiences and can advise you appropriately. 2. Do not only think about excellence in a supervisor. Are they kind? I know supervisors who take new PhDs for coffee on weekends or a walk in the park, all in a bid for them to be comfortable and settled. The flip side is you also have to be kind to your supervisor. They are human too, and their lives do not revolve around your work/thesis. Your supervisors will fail at grants. They will have life events like having a baby and go for maternity leave. Recognise they are human. 3. If you are clueless, there are some 4 year doctoral programs in the UK where the first year is spent moving around different PI labs. You can choose who you work with best for the rest of your 3 years. 4. Recognise when you have some power. As a student with your own funding/scholarship, you do have some power to pick your supervisor. So do some research. You stand a better chance if you are already a student in the institution and the supervisor can also do a background search on you. 5. Look for someone who will give you genuine feedback and can recognise when you are threading a wrong path They are not afraid to tell you the truth when you veer off course and they encourage you when you are on course. The key message here is that we are first human before we adopt any roles. If you want to pick any message from this, I think be kind and seek kind people. Do you have any thoughts on the supervisor-supervisee relationship? #PhD #PhDjourney

We all know how important mentors are, but there’s another part of the equation people don’t talk about enough: sponsors. Both are important, but they play very different roles. That distinction matters because it's not always obvious that guidance and advocacy are two separate things. Mentors give you advice. They push your thinking and help you navigate tough moments. Sponsors do something different. They advocate for you when you're not in the room and help open doors you may not have otherwise been able to or even know about. Sometimes, you’re lucky enough to find both in the same person. I’ve been fortunate to have both mentors and sponsors in my career. One of my biggest turning points came in 2008, when I joined Revlon. Alan Ennis, the CFO at the time was both for me—someone who offered advice, saw potential in me, and opened the door to an opportunity that changed my trajectory. My advice: seek out mentors and don’t be afraid to reach out to people you admire—but just as importantly, find sponsors who are genuinely invested in your success and willing to speak up for you when it matters most.

👥 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫. I once advocated for someone to lead a high-profile, multidisciplinary project team despite pushback that they were "unproven" because they hadn't formally managed a team before. I had seen how they built trust with their stakeholders, developed team members capabilities, handled complexity and delivered results. I backed them. The project succeeded. That stretch opportunity became a defining example in their promotion story. This is how sponsorship differs from mentoring or coaching. A sponsor advocates for you in rooms you aren't in and connects you to opportunities you didn't know existed. You might not be 100% ready, but they'll help you get ready.  By lending their credibility and influence, they'll support you to succeed. That comes with risk. So when I choose to sponsor someone, I look for three things... 🪴 Do they consistently create value? Not occasional heroics. Reliable impact aligned to what actually matters to the organisation. 🧠 Do they show a genuine growth mindset? When faced with ambiguity or adversity, do they build new skills, seek help and adapt... or do they wait to be rescued? 💙 Are they a good person? Character, integrity, how they treat others. Senior leaders notice patterns of behaviour long before they notice ambition. You don't ask someone to be your sponsor. It's a bit like falling in love.  You can't pinpoint the exact moment, but you know it when it's there. That’s why trying to manufacture sponsorship by being "liked" rarely works. Friendship isn't the currency. Value exchange and trust are. Sponsors notice. Even when you don’t realise it. #Sponsorship #Leadership #DataLeadership #GrowthMindset #LinkedInNewsAustralia

Can we talk? Three words that gave me my biggest professional breakthrough Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with a diverse group of women leaders about their career journeys. Their stories resonated deeply with my own experience, reminding me how organizations thrive when active mentoring and coaching supports leaders in their in shaping careers and enabling leaders to support others in their leadership journeys. I spoke quite openly about imposter syndrome at a pivotal juncture in my career, as many professionals do. Here is my personal story about finding a mentor, and how this transformed my career. Early in my career, after a recent job shift, I experienced a series of failures. I began to doubt everything. Then, an unexpected opportunity presented itself: a job in another business vertical that was run by a person known to be a great mentor, someone a lot of people would speak to for advice. I sent the straightforward message, "Can we talk?" with nothing to lose and everything to gain. True to every word I had heard about this person, I received a response pretty quicikly and I set up a simple coffee conversation one sunny afternoon in a conference room where I came straight to the point - why is this happening? Am I not good enough? Everything changed after that talk. I was struggling with imposter syndrome while attempting to negotiate a totally different organisational culture, and my mentor saw past my technical proficiency to identify the true issue. What began as a call for assistance turned into a life-changing experience. With constant direction, he assisted me reframe these feelings of inadequacy into strengths. The same role that once felt overwhelming became the foundation for my long-term success. This is the reason why, Through my own career and now mentoring professionals through their career journeys, I strongly advocate for the importance of building a personal board of directors (5-10 individuals) who serve three critical roles: ↳Coaches: Providing tactical guidance ↳Mentors: Sharing wisdom and experience ↳Sponsors: Opening doors and advocating for you Consider the following questions as you read my story: ↳Who is in your support network? ↳How do you keep these relationships going? ↳What value do you bring to them? ↳How will you pay it forward? Finding a mentor may seem difficult, but it can be the most rewarding investment you make to have a multiplier effect in your career. Here are some tips to find mentors and make them matter: ↳Define what you need in a mentor ↳Create a list of potential mentors ↳Reach out and make a specific request ↳Establish goals and follow through Your story is important. Have you ever had a mentoring experience that altered the course of your career? Your story may be just what someone else needs to hear, so please share it below.

“Mentorship" has become so Empty. so Safe. so Corporate. so Gross… I was scrolling through my old posts & found one from like 2017. It was... nice. Meh. It said~ "We never succeed alone. We all had mentors, people to emulate, to grow & learn from. Thank them! Show your appreciation - We all get there but we don't get there alone."  Sure it’s true. But now? In 2025? My thinking has... sharpened. I used to see mentorship as being appreciative. NOW I see "mentorship" for what it's often become… A check the box activity. We are drowning in “mentors” willing to have coffee & give advice. It's easy. It costs nothing. It makes us feel good. We are starving for “sponsors” willing to spend their own political capital. Isn’t that the real conversation? A mentor gives you advice. A sponsor fights for you in rooms you're not in. A mentor tells you how to "navigate the system." A sponsor takes a personal risk to pull you into new opportunities. It's what Mary Barra described once~ People who "took risks on me." People who gave me "constructive feedback." That's not safe. That's not comfortable. "Taking a risk" means putting your own reputation on the line for someone else. "Constructive feedback" is the hard convo not an easy compliment. We talk a big game about "paying it forward” We're not taking REAL risks We're sticking to safe bets We're “mentoring” people on how to fit into something that’s broken. Instead of “sponsoring” people who can & WANT to make an impact to fix it. That 2017 post was right We don't get there alone. But it's not “mentorship” that builds great careers or even changes an industry. It's sponsorship. Our industry is desperate for new leaders. That won't come from more "mentors." It will come from real sponsors. Stop offering "mentorship." Start offering sponsorship. That's the real work. #Leadership #Automotive #PayItForward #beBetter

Don’t just ask someone to “be your mentor” — be intentional about how you work with them. Mentorship has shaped my career in big ways. One of my earliest mentors was an interim pro-vice-chancellor when I worked at a university. That relationship led to the opportunity to work in India — something I never could have planned, but which completely shifted my trajectory. I still work with mentors today, so when people approach me for mentorship, I try to help where I can. Enter Iqra Ali. She recently reached out with the perfect approach — clear, thoughtful, and showing she’s driven, passionate, approachable, and ready to put the work in. And that’s the difference. Mentorship works when the mentee drives the relationship. From both sides, here’s what I’ve seen matters most: ✅ Be clear on what you need support with ✅ Do your research before you reach out ✅ Come prepared and on time ✅ Keep your mentor updated on progress ✅ Follow up promptly — respect their time Beyond the basics, mentorship can also be strategic: ✅ Learn from people indirectly (blogs, podcasts, videos, talks) ✅ Build a network of mentors, not just one ✅ Set yourself weekly challenges to apply advice ✅ Invest in yourself — through mentors, courses, and training I truly believe mentorship can be a game-changing investment. But it does require time, and sometimes money. If you’re clear on what you want, open to feedback, and willing to put the work in, the return on this investment will continue to pay off again and again throughout your career. #mentorship

A candidate told me she hadn't had a proper one-on-one with her manager in eight months. No feedback. No development conversations. No visibility into where she stood. She wasn't in a toxic situation. Her manager wasn't malicious. He was just checked out — busy, distracted, and not particularly interested in developing anyone on his team. This is more common than people admit. And it quietly derails careers that should be going somewhere. Here's how to manage upward when the person above you isn't doing their job. Stop waiting for feedback that isn't coming If your manager doesn't give feedback, ask for it directly. "I'd like fifteen minutes this week to get your thoughts on how I'm tracking." Most managers will engage when asked specifically — they just won't initiate. Do this quarterly at minimum. Don't let a year pass without knowing where you stand. Create your own visibility Your manager isn't showcasing your work. So you have to. Send brief written updates after completing significant projects. Copy relevant stakeholders where appropriate. Not to go around your manager — to ensure your contributions are on record. "Completed the client migration ahead of schedule. Happy to share the summary if useful." Two sentences. Professional. Visible. Build relationships one level up Your manager's manager matters more than most people realise — especially during appraisals, restructures, and promotion decisions. Find legitimate reasons to interact. Volunteer for cross-functional projects. Contribute in meetings where senior leaders are present. You're not undermining anyone. You're making sure the right people know who you are. Find mentors outside your reporting line A checked-out manager can't develop you. Someone else can. Look internally first — a senior colleague in a different team, a leader who's shown interest in your work. Then externally — industry contacts, former managers, professional communities. One good mentor who challenges your thinking is worth more than ten performance reviews that never happen. Know when the situation is costing you too much A passive manager is manageable. A manager who actively blocks your visibility, takes credit for your work, or gives you no path to progression? That's a different problem. Track what you're learning. Track whether you're growing. If the answer is no for six months straight, the issue isn't your manager's style — it's your trajectory. Some situations are worth working around. Others are worth leaving. The reality: Your manager's job is to develop you. When they don't do it, most people just wait and hope things change. They rarely do. The candidates who advance in spite of a weak manager are the ones who take ownership of their own visibility, relationships, and growth — without needing anyone's permission to do it. Don't let someone else's checked-out attitude become the ceiling on your career. #CareerAdvice #JobSearch #Recruitment