sponsoring women and people of color to senior leadership · color to senior leadership advis...

Sponsoring Women and People of Color to Senior Leadership

ADVIS Diversity ConferenceOctober 11, 2019

Thu-Nga MorrisEd.D. Candidate

Agenda

• Background

• Framework for Sponsorship

• Research & Findings

• Limitations & Benefits

• Final Thoughts, Q&A

Women Outnumbered by Men Named John

(New York Times, 2018)

Human Capital

(Human Resources Online, 2018)

Social Capital

(Remote.Co, 2015)

NAIS Trends

(Blackwell & Torres, 2018)

Pipeline Issue?

(Blackwell & Torres, 2018)

2017-2018 Females People of Color

Business Officer 55% 11%

Associate Head 51% 7%

Assistant Heads 63% 15%

Upper School Heads 39% 8%

Middle School Heads 55% 13%

Lower School Heads 85% 11%

Dir. of Development 79% 9%

Dir. of Admissions 77% 14%

Dir. of Diversity 68% 95%

Color, Capital, and Climb to Headship

(Brown, 2016)

• Heads Retiring at High %s

• Students/Families Diversifying

• Study on Recent Heads of Color

– Independent School Grads

– Senior Admin. Prior to Appointment

– Alumni of Selective Grad Schools or Terminal

Degree

Women and PoC Over-Mentored

(Hewlett, 2013)

Literature

● Women and PoC in NAIS schools held to a higher standard (Brown, 2016; Feibelman, 2013; Ostos, 2012; Pernambuco-Wise, 2011)

● Sponsorship is strategic and mutual (Foust-Cummings, Dinolfo, & Kohler, 2011; Hewlett, 2013; Ibarra, Carter, & Silva, 2010)

● Sponsorship bolsters social capital and career mobility (Dreher & Ash, 1990; Hewlett, 2013; Lin, 2000; Seibert, Kraimer, & Liden, 2001)

● Sponsorship experiences may be gendered (Kay & Wallace, 2009; Palgi & Moore, 2004)

What is sponsorship?

Sponsor - A senior person who goes out of his or her way to develop the professional skill set of a protégé, advocates for the promotion of a protégé, and/or expands a protégé’s visibility, reputation, and credibility in a professional network

Protégé - An employee who demonstrates a high level of performance and who adds value to a sponsor’s brand

(Morris, 2019. The Influence of Career Sponsorship on the Advancement of Female Heads of Color in Independent Schools. Unpublished.)

Data Collection

(Morris, 2019. The Influence of Career Sponsorship on the Advancement of Female Heads of Color in Independent Schools. Unpublished Raw Data.)

• Survey to Independent School Heads and Head-Elects

• Interviews with Female Heads of Color

In what ways, if any, have independent school heads experienced career

sponsorship?


Head DemographicsGender Percent

Male 56.2%

Female 43.8%

Race Non-White vs. WhiteAfrican-American/Black 9.1% 19.8%

Asian/Asian American 3.5%

Bi/Multiracial 2.8%

Latinx 2.2%

Other 2.2%

White/Caucasion/European American

80.1% 80.1%


Did you have a sponsor prior to headship?

• Yes, I had a sponsor(s). 61.4%

• No, I did not have a sponsor. 38.6%


Sponsor DemographicsGender Percent

Male 67.2%Female 32.8%

Race Non-White vs. WhiteAfrican-American/Black 5.0% 9.0%American Indian/Native

American.6%

Asian/Asian American 1.7%Bi/Multiracial 1.1%

Other .6%White/Caucasion/European

American91.1% 91.1%


Sponsor Demographics

Occupation Percent Non-Head vs. Head

Current or Retired Trustee of

Independent School

9.3% 26.9%

School Administrator 4.9%Consultant at a

Placement Agency5.4%

Other 7.3%Current or Retired

Head of School73.2% 73.2%


Sponsor Demographics

# of YearsInd. Schools

Percent ≤ 20 Years vs. > 20 Years

0 - 5 Years 6.1% 27.2%6 - 10 Years 3.9%

11 - 15 Years 7.8%16 - 20 Years 9.4%

20+ Years 72.8% 72.8%


In what ways, if any, has sponsorship influenced the career advancement of

female heads of color?


Relational Characteristics of a Sponsor

• Goes Out of His/Her/Their Way

– makes a special effort to support career

• High Expectations

– sees potential and expects a great deal

• Trust

– mutual relationship, has your back


Sponsoring Behaviors• Advocates for Promotion

– advocates, promotes, or appoints

• Skill Development

– presents opportunities to learn new info or

develop a skill

• Network Access

– directly connects to other professionals(Morris, 2019. The Influence of Career Sponsorship on the Advancement of Female Heads of Color in Independent Schools. Unpublished Raw Data.)

Benefits of Sponsorship

• Confidence

– belief in own capacity to lead, belonging

• Competence

– develop skills to lead, professional support

• Credibility

– uses position, power, social capital to bolster credibility

• Visibility

– direct or indirect, access to resources or info(Morris, 2019. The Influence of Career Sponsorship on the Advancement of Female Heads of Color in Independent Schools. Unpublished Raw Data.)

Racial and Gendered Interactions

• Explicit interactions added perspective to one’s

career experiences or outlook

• Implicit interactions just as valuable

• Early findings show there may be differences in

the frequency of conversations about diversity

– reported stress low, philosophical alignment(Morris, 2019. The Influence of Career Sponsorship on the Advancement of Female Heads of Color in Independent Schools. Unpublished Raw Data.)

Limitations• “Sponsorship is much more challenging for women to make happen - men

just do this for each other.”

• “If those connections cannot be established because of differences… and

the implicit biases that accompany these differences, it can be more

challenging to sponsor or get sponsored.”

• “Generational bias. Both of my sponsors are significantly older and though

the benefits of their collective wisdom is exceptional, many of their on the

ground solutions and advice are dated.”

• “Sometimes your sponsor can be limited by perceived favoritism...”


Limitations• “Sometimes, a protege can be given responsibilities but not the authority

to meet those responsibilities.”

• “Mimicking your sponsor's leadership style until you can fully embrace your

own.”

• “Finding a sponsor who is enough like you but not exactly like you.”

• “My leadership style and belief system were often diametrically opposed to

my sponsors, and so it was difficult to be authentic around this person; in

many cases I felt compromised.”

• “You still have to do the job - and prove yourself.”


Benefits• “She changed my professional life and has been an inspiration and role

model to me.”

• “Providing real opportunities to expand skills, by giving real responsibility,

with support and encouragement.”

• “Help in developing the requisite skill sets and competencies required for

the position - especially in the realm of the board and senior

administrative leadership.”

• “It is critical to have at least one trusted, confidential, professional

friend/colleague with whom to share challenges, successes, and setbacks.”


Benefits

• “I learned as much what NOT do to from him, as what to do.”

• “Introductions to key players, and public endorsement through

references and recommendations for opportunities.”

• “I would not be a Head if not for my sponsor. I had decided not to

apply for the position that I currently hold, but she not only

encouraged me, but demanded that I apply.”

• “Being able to see yourself in the other person. If you can see it,

you can be it."


Leveraging Your Talents,Managing Talent

1. What aspects of this session resonated with you?

2. What strengths do you bring, as someone who wishes to be

sponsored, someone who is being sponsored, or someone who is

or would like to sponsor others?

3. What opportunities do you envision?

4. What questions remain for you?

5. What do you want to remember? Thu-Nga Morris

[email protected]

sponsoring women and people of color to senior leadership · color to senior leadership advis...

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