20% of White Employees Have Sponsors. Only 5% of Black Employees Do.

Harvard Business Review | Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Kennedy Ihezie

Executive sponsorship plays a pivotal role in advancing Black talent within organizations, yet only a small fraction of up-and-coming Black employees manage to secure sponsorship. This article underscores the challenges Black managers face in accessing sponsorship from senior colleagues, highlighting the need for urgent and well-funded interventions to facilitate access to advocacy for Black executives and managers. Sponsorship is a transformative relationship that accelerates career growth for both protégés and sponsors.