Women in Leadership — Coaching, Mentorship, and Sponsorship

In this week’s episode of Change and Thrive, we will be focusing on women in leadership and how leaders are uniquely positioned to play a critical role by providing direction during times of personal and professional transition. Specifically, leaders can empower their female employees through Coaching, Mentorship, and Sponsorship. I will be speaking with Lisa Brooks-Greaux, a trusted client, friend, and colleague who has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Women in Business,” and is the author of “Don’t Abdicate the Throne,” where she shares tips on how women can to take control of their lives to grow and develop.

Lisa will share her experience with leading women, as well as working alongside women leaders. She explains how women are uniquely exceptional leaders as they are able to balance a strategic mindset with creative vision and have the ability to execute on their plans. She explains that these skills are increasingly important in a time where uncertainty demands inclusion of all perspectives and collaboration, as well as strong agility in order to overcome unprecedented obstacles. To highlight this point, Lisa notes how women leaders of countries around the world have had success in navigating these new challenges by mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

We then move into the specific process of Coaching, Mentoring, Sponsorship, and the nuanced differences between these three actionable steps. As Lisa explains, coaches offer a formal point of contact for providing individuals with constructive feedback on their performances, as well as equipping them with tools to fix or fill in gaps so they may improve and avoid future obstacles. Mentors are experienced members of an organization and are able to provide insight into how to navigate specific organizational cultures, as well as give general career advice. Sponsors possess social capital, influence, and power within an organization and will advocate on an individual’s behalf when decisions are being made regarding positions, projects, and promotions. These people can be key for empowering women to realize their full potential and providing them with support throughout the process of climbing the corporate ladder and reaching positions of power within an organization.