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Sponsorship Opens Doors…
Sponsorship has never been more central to career momentum. Across teams and industries, sponsors shape the room you’re not in—translating quiet wins into visible opportunities. With simple, repeatable moves—sharing colleagues’ good news, inviting under-the-radar talent into key rooms, and rewarding door-openers—organizations expand access and get smarter together.
We sat down with Rosalind Chow to map what sponsorship really looks like in practice and the two actions you can take this week to open real doors.
Ever felt like your hard work wasn’t enough?
That’s because the biggest career breaks don’t always come from effort alone—they come from the people who open doors for you.
In this episode of Your Work Friends, we sit down with, Carnegie Mellon Professor, organizational psychologist and author Rosalind Chow to unpack the power of sponsorship. Not mentorship (that’s important too), but sponsorship—the behind-the-scenes advocacy that shapes reputations, gets your name in the room, and changes who gets ahead.
We talk about:
The simple one-liner that explains mentorship vs. sponsorship
Why Rosalyn calls sharing someone else’s win good gossip
The four ways sponsorship actually works—create, confirm, prevent, and protect
How women and people of color are often “sponsored differently”
Practical moves anyone can make this week to sponsor someone else
If you want to understand how influence really works at work—and how to use it to build fairer, smarter teams—this conversation is a must-listen.
Connect with Rosalind:
Her website
Her LinkedIn
Her book, "The Doors You Can Open: A New Way to Network, Build Trust, and Use Your Influence to Create a More Inclusive Workplace"d a chapter in The Talent Management Handbook 2nd edition and was an early contributor for Talent-Quarterly.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.
Connect with Us
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Mel Plett
CO- FOUNDER & CO-HOST
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Francesca Ranieri
CO-FOUNDER & CO-HOST
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Rosalind Chow
Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory at the Tepper School of Business, and affiliated with the Social and Decision Sciences group at Dietrich College