Dr. Really-good-at-her-job and Dr. Sponsor-in-name-only

A few conversations this past week brought something to the surface that I have been thinking about for a while. Something that sits at the intersection of career progression and the stories we tell ourselves about how we got where we are. This might also be a similar conversation to the previous story: Dr. Really-good-at-her-job and the Mentee Collector and a good follow-up.

Let's talk about sponsorship.

You may have heard the phrase: "Mentors talk to you. Sponsors talk about you." That distinction matters quite a bit, especially in academic medicine, where so much of career advancement happens in rooms where Dr. Really-good-at-her-job is not present.

Sponsorship describes a set of actions in which an influential champion uses their position to actively support a colleague's career by helping them gain visibility, recognition, and opportunities. The literature is growing on this, and so is our awareness of why it matters. We know that sponsorship is particularly consequential for women and those who are historically underrepresented and excluded in medicine. For many, it is the difference between a career that accelerates and one that stalls a bit.

We all need sponsors. We all benefit from someone who says our name when we are not in the room -POSITIVELY! Someone who connects our expertise to the right opportunity, who introduces us to the right people, who puts our name forward for the award, the committee, the position. A true sponsor sees your excellence and makes sure others see it too. It feels like having your mom in the room talking about how brilliant you are. (Minus, perhaps, the part where she shows everyone your childhood photos.)

And like all things that are good and necessary, sponsorship has a shadow side. That is what I want to talk about today.

The Sponsor-in-Name-Only

Allow me to introduce you to two types of sponsors through the story of Dr. Really-good-at-her-job.

A dean was describing a gap on their leadership team. Dr. True Sponsor, recognizing exactly whose expertise belonged in that conversation, said Dr. Really-good-at-her-job. They made the case for her. They connected her to the opportunity.

The dean followed up. There was a search process, a real one (no need to explain that). Dr. Really-good-at-her-job brought herself fully to that process, was selected by the search committee, and was offered the position. She earned it. She was ready. She did the work.

Dr. True Sponsor sent warm congratulations, felt the genuine joy of having helped someone whose talent they believed in, and went back to their own work. That is sponsorship.

Enter Dr. Sponsor-in-Name-Only.

Dr. Sponsor-in-Name-Only also sent a congratulations. But what happened next is what I want to name, because it does not get named enough.

Dr. Sponsor-in-Name-Only started telling the story. Not Dr. Really-good-at-her-job’s story, but their own: "I discovered her."

I know, I know. Yes, those words were said. And over time, slowly, the narrative shifted. Years went by and Dr. Sponsor-in-Name-Only had taken full credit for Dr. Really-good-at-her-job’s career. And somehow, Dr. Really-good-at-her-job had internalized the message that she owed them something. The relationship became unbalanced in a way that is hard to name when you are in it, because gratitude and obligation can look identical …and even more so when the obligation is forced.

This is not sponsorship.

What Sponsorship Actually Looks Like

Research on sponsorship in academia identifies several actions that sponsors actually perform and it is worth naming them, because only then, we can tell the difference between real sponsorship and performative sponsorship. You know, the kind that the sponsor wants all (or most) the credit for Dr. Really-good-at-her-job.

A sponsor identifies opportunities that match your strengths and trajectory. They recognize and articulate what makes you stellar and most times they say it better than you do! They encourage their “sponsoree” (Is that a real word?) to pursue the opportunity by saying ,"you belong in that room." They nominate you, make the case, and sometimes offer themselves as a resource to ensure you succeed once you get there.

See what is notably absent? TAKING CREDIT. Keeping score. Creating professional debt.

Dear Dr. Really-good-at-her-job: You Do Not Owe Your Sponsor Your Career Story

This is the part I most want to say directly.

You were in the interview, at the table, doing the work because you were ready. Yes, someone said your name. Yes, that matters, and yes, you can feel genuinely grateful for it. Gratitude for a sponsor who saw you and spoke up is real and appropriate. But gratitude is not the same as a DEBT that can never be repaid.

Your excellence is not a discovery.

I have seen what happens when Dr. Really-good-at-her-job internalizes the "I discovered you" narrative. Faculty and WoC leaders start to second-guess their own success. She overextends herself to a sponsor. She stays in toxic situations longer than she should because leaving feels like ingratitude...because Dr. Sponsor-in-name-only reminds her of this ingratitude. She minimizes her own agency in the story of how she got here or there.

A Word for Sponsors

If you are in a position of influence, a gentle reminder…

Saying someone's name is an act of sponsorship. Saying a WoC name in academic medicine might as well be an act of resistance in this socio-political environment. But the moment you begin to need recognition for having done it, something has shifted from generosity to transaction.

Ask yourself: when you sponsor Dr. Really-good-at-her-job, are you doing it because you believe in her and because the institution needs her talent? Are you investing in her future, or collecting a future favor?

The sponsor's work is done when the person succeeds. When Dr. Really-good-at-her-job goes on and exceeds all expectations, that is not a moment to claim your “investment”.

True sponsorship celebrates people. Sponsorship-in-name-only creates a contract.

Let's Be Honest About Power in Academic Medicine

Sponsorship in academic medicine does not happen in a neutral space. For historically underrepresented groups, it happens in the space of  who gets sponsored and who gets to be a sponsor. It absolutely reflects existing hierarchies of race, gender, and prestige. WoC are less likely to be sponsored, more likely to receive mentorship without advocacy, and when they are sponsored, more likely to be sponsored by someone who expects loyalty in return. Oooo, that makes me mad.

So yes, sponsorship is important. It is necessary. But make it clean. Sponsorship that creates debt and dependency, claims ownership of Dr. Really-good-at-her-job’s career, or makes your DEI commitment clearly performative, it is replicating your power. Dr. Really-good-at-her-job deserves sponsors who say her name and then step back in admiration and pride.

She deserves sponsors who measure their success by her success, not her loyalty.

To my Dr. Really-good-at-her-job, let others champion you and walk through dem doors as your authentic self. And if anyone tells you they discovered you, remind them: you have always been here. And then call me!

What has your experience with sponsorship been? I would love to hear from you.