Sponsors vs Mentors

I just read an interesting article on women leadership that refers to a study bY Catalysts which points out that sponsorship may in fact be the single most critical strategy for accelerating a woman’s career.

According to the article mentors are the friendly guides who dispense helpful information, offering up input and advice to mentees. Sponsors, on the other hand, are defined by their organizational clout and ability to open doors; they will personally advocate for a cause, project or promotion on a protégé’s behalf.

You can read the full news article here http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/women-and-the-troub...

Access the report by Catalyst - Sponsoring Women to Success here http://catalyst.org/publication/485/sponsoring-women-to-success

So what does a women need most - A sponsor or an advocate? I think both!

What do you think?