The Brainy Business | Understanding the Psychology of Why People Buy | Behavioral Economics 489. Beyond Mentorship - How to Sponsor Success
Apr 17, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Rosalind Chow, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University specializing in organizational behavior, shares invaluable insights from her book, The Doors You Can Open. She differentiates between mentorship and sponsorship, highlighting how the latter creates more meaningful opportunities for career advancement. The conversation dives into the effects of social hierarchy on diversity and inclusion, the power of positive connections, and the critical role of deep listening. Real-world examples, like Kim Ng's journey, demonstrate the transformative potential of effective sponsorship.
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Inequality Persists Through Hierarchies
- Social hierarchies naturally organize behavior but often align with irrelevant traits, causing inequality.
- Understanding this persistence led Rosalind Chow to focus on reducing social inequalities through sponsorship.
Confidence Mistaken for Competence
- Confidence often gets mistaken for competence, causing leaders to emerge based on speaking frequency.
- This proxy is unreliable but results from human cognitive shortcuts in social groups.
Sponsorship vs Mentorship
- Sponsorship differs from mentorship by changing the social environment rather than trying to change the individual.
- Sponsorship involves advocating for others without coaching them, like endorsing someone in a letter of recommendation.