Equipping Women for Leadership: The Power of Mentoring, Coaching, and Sponsorship

• In Event: Women Weathering the Workplace: The Critical Roles of Mentors, Sponsors, and Coaches

Short Description

The under-representation of women in senior leadership roles across much of U.S. higher education is well-documented, a pattern evident in much of the world. This qualitative study involving 30 women administrative leaders used a grounded theory approach to examine the role of developmental relationships on the participants’ professional trajectories.

Detailed Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles across much of US higher education has been repeatedly documented over recent decades (Gangone & Lennon, 2014; Johnson, 2016), and is particularly acute within faith-based higher education (Longman & Anderson, 2016). This session reports on the findings of a research project that examines the leadership aspirations and experiences of female administrative leaders. Relationships play an important role in women’s leadership aspirations, experience, and development (Fritz, 2011; Gersick et al., 2000). Similarly, having a network of developmental relationships contributes significantly to women’s leadership development, given the access these relationships can offer beyond the organizational context (Gibson, 2008). The primary focus of this study is to understand the role of developmental relationships—specifically in terms of mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship—on the professional trajectories of women within higher education administration.

A variety of internal and external barriers have been identified that deter women from aspiring to leadership and/or moving into senior roles (Eagly, 2015; Ely & Rhode, 2010; Kellerman & Rhode, 2014). Yet the process of developing a leader identity (Ibarra, Ely, & Kolb, 2013) can be enhanced through the presence of individuals who invest themselves in the professional development of others. The potential impact of such investments was captured in a January 2017 communication from Catalyst titled “Why Mentoring Still Matters.” The opening sentence simply stated: “A coach talks to you. A mentor talks with you. A sponsor talks about you” (p.1). This presentation addresses the role of individuals who have served in each of these three roles, based on data gathered from interviews with 30 administrative leaders.

Recent mentoring research has specifically explored the benefits of women having a “constellation” of developmental relationships (mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring) regarding their leadership development journeys. Such relationships within these networks of mentoring relationships provide “developmental assistance ” that involves both career and psychosocial support (Gibson, 2008; Higgins & Kram, 2001). Although there is no agreed-upon definition of the role and practice of mentors, the literature reveals a common set of mentoring distinctives: mentoring involves mutual social exchange, consistent interaction, and results in developmental benefits related to the protégé’s career (Haggard, Dougherty, Turban, & Wilbanks, 2011).

Mentoring is most commonly associated with providing psychosocial support. While psychosocial elements are present in coaching and sponsoring, these developmental relationships are more commonly associated with career development. Definitions of coaching similarly range from informal peer-to-peer relationships to more formal executive coaching. Coaching relationships are described as one-directional, whereas sponsorship relationships benefit both parties (Black et al., 2016; Hewlett, 2013). Hewlett (2013) describes a sponsor as one who “sees furthering your career as an important investment in his or her own career” (p. 20). Travis et al. (2013)—in referencing the scholarly contributions of Hewlett et al. (2011)—summarized the impact of sponsoring on women in particular: “Without sponsors, women were less likely than men to be appointed to top positions and, more important, less likely to apply for them” (p. 2).

In order to understand the role of mentors, coaches, and sponsors in women’s leadership pathways, a grounded theory approach was used to study the experiences of 30 senior-level female leaders who attended either of two Women’s Advanced Leadership Institutes (WALIs) designed for administrative leaders from faith-based higher education. Participants in WALIs represent a variety of denominational backgrounds, institutional types, and leadership positions across the academy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the role of influential relationships on the women’s leadership journeys.

Our findings suggest that traditional methods of leadership development for women may need to be reconsidered and reconstructed. Four key themes emerged that beneficially inform the process of evaluating and reconstructing traditional leadership development programming for women.

Theme one highlights the presence and importance of a constellation of developmental relationships in the participants’ lives. For example, women in this study reported ways in which they had built and accessed a web of mentoring relationships that encouraged them both to consider and advance into higher levels of leadership with greater confidence. The approaches they described differed in various ways from the traditional dyadic and hierarchical models of mentoring.

Theme two addresses the nature and impact of influential relationships on aspects of the participants’ career and psychosocial leadership development. This theme was illustrated by the participants’ differentiated expressions of mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring relationships. In particular, sponsors were more likely to provide vision, while mentors were more likely to provide encouragement.

Theme three centers on the value participants placed on relationships influential to their leadership development, particularly during times of challenge. Participants referenced various ways mentors, coaches, and sponsors provided encouragement, renewed purpose, assisted with problem-solving, and tangible support. Whether the challenges took the form of personal/family barriers or concerns, or various professional challenges, key relationships seemed to be critical both to perspective-taking and finding the resilience to continue on their leadership journeys.

Theme four emphasizes desire for a greater presence of influential relationships, both in number and type. The majority of participants spoke to the value of previous mentoring relationships and referenced their desire for continued mentorship in the future. Given that many of the mentoring relationships appeared to be primarily psycho-social, the participants expressed their desire for more professional mentoring. Notably, few of the participants reported having had an executive coach or a sponsor, although some referenced relationships with other forms of coaching.

In order to promote gender equity among senior-level leadership teams, the themes that emerged from this research might help to guide future leadership development programming for high-potential women. Given that participants reported benefiting from a variety of influential relationships, providing opportunities and encouragement to cultivate both friendships and professional relationships within and beyond the home institution (e.g., formal or informal mentoring, an assigned “coach,” or the identification of a mentor) could provide women with the skills and confidence to move into broader leadership. Although women may gravitate toward and benefit from peer mentorships, both coaches and sponsors can be beneficial as women navigate the challenges inherent in male-normed career fields and pathways.

Participants

• Amanda F. Marble, Northwest Nazarene University

• Julie Beam, Bethel College

• Karen A. Longman, Azusa Pacific University

• Amy Drennan, Fuller Theological Seminary