Whom to Sponsor?

There are many qualities that suggest a propensity for leadership. Over time, I've settled on five that I find are specifically indicative of someone who is up to the pressure and unique challenges of leading change, and therefore worthy of sponsorship. Here's what to look for. Not everyone will have all five qualities, but you'll help them develop the areas in which they fall short.

Resilience: I actually prefer to call resilience “the ability to look over mountains.” I list this one first because it is far and away the most important. Looking over mountains requires character, courage, and creativity. Has the person stood up during tough times, overcome obstacles, or taken accountability for a plan to improve?

On the ground during a business crisis is the best time to identify the most resilient in your company. Who provides direction and boosts morale? Who takes a stand and doesn't budge when second-guessed? Frequently the people who show resilience in such moments are not the ones I would have chosen from the day-to-day crowd, or who would have been cherry-picked for formal leadership development.

When we had the reporting crisis after the launch of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system at Medtronic, most people didn't look over the mountain; they slammed right into it. There was a lot of yelling, and much time was wasted pointing fingers. We were all surprised when a soft-spoken middle manager from the accounting department stood up in a meeting and outlined the exact steps we needed to take to allow the business to close its books. Everyone listened like she was Warren Buffett. I knew immediately that I wanted to bring her into my group. Two years later, she was a VP running our global customer care operation. Despite not having the background for the position, she did an outstanding job thanks to her ability to see over mountains and get her team to climb them.

Authenticity: Otherwise known as “straight shooters,” authentic people engender trust. People unfortunately have the tendency to think that the higher up they go in an organization the more buttoned-up they have to be, making it seem like they're always in control.

I was once on the selection committee to choose a new senior leader. One of our top contenders was outstanding on paper, but in person she was falling short. A number of the committee members saw her as too buttoned-up. She was so professional that she seemed to be hiding her true self. They questioned whether she could be trusted to be transparent as challenges inevitably arose.

I personally believed that the problem was with her presentation, not her integrity. So I met with her myself and shared the group's reservations. If she wanted the job, she needed to relax, let down her guard, and be herself in her next interviews. She heard what I said and after her next round of interviews, everyone felt much more comfortable. She ultimately won the position, and these days is first and foremost known for being a straight shooter.

There's a second reason why authenticity is key. You can't effectively coach a person who isn't willing to share his or her true emotions and thoughts with you, both the highs and the lows. You won't know when you're needed or how to help, and even if you did, the individual would be unlikely to hear your advice. Unwillingness to open up and admit weakness is one of the top things that I see holding back otherwise impressive young professionals. It's a mind-set that “protects” them from a lot of much-needed learning.

Inclusiveness: Find people who seek multiple perspectives, and see the value in all kinds of diversity. Those who don't are showing that they prefer the status quo and will never proactively seek a better way of doing things, no matter how much you coach them. Watch carefully who emerging leaders put on their teams. I once declined to do business with an offshore services company because it didn't have a single female in management. That sent a negative message to our own female managers, and made me question whether an outfit with such a limited purview would provide the best solutions.

Inclusive people also have the ability to cross boundaries and build bridges between them, both of which are essential to the success of transformational change and acquisition integration initiatives. The most inclusive leader I ever worked with was Bill Hawkins, a former CEO of Medtronic. He built teams of very diverse leaders and constantly sought our input. We respected him more, not less, for relying on our counsel, and no person was better suited to position Medtronic for future success.

Inquisitiveness: Inquisitive people constantly engage others. They are always asking questions: How are you doing? Why do they do it that way? What do you think about this? What changes do we need to make? How are our customers doing?

An enthusiasm for asking questions suggests strong leadership potential. First, it shows that the questioners are always in learning mode and don't care who does the teaching. Second, asking questions is a practice that helps make the people they interact with feel significant and respected. And third, it shows that they are comfortable with saying, “I don't know, but I will find out.” This trait is essential to finding your way with confidence after you get lost. Question askers are generally in the habit of asking for advice before making decisions. They don't waste valuable time trying to figure everything out on their own, or let their pride get in the way of changing their position when compelling information or ideas are presented.

Inclination to develop others: The fifth and last trait to look for is the person's inclination to develop others. I'm not going to invest in anyone who has an “it's all about me and if it weren't for me” attitude. People with that mentality aren't going to build effective teams. In fact, they view very capable people as a threat and will actively undermine them. Meanwhile, those who are generous with their knowledge, time, and influence are the ones who will turn your investment into a real growth portfolio.

To recognize this trait, watch how the person introduces you to colleagues or direct reports. You want to hear things like “This person is an up-and-coming star” or “If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have been successful.” Watch how they interact with others. Do they collaborate and delegate? If they are already managers, do they coach and mentor their direct reports?

I have at times seen people whose egos inflate once they have been given extra responsibility and power. I can empathize to some extent. I remember that when I first became an officer at Georgia-Pacific, I felt like I'd gone to bed James Dallas and woken up Denzel Washington. Well, it only took one “you'd better check yourself” look from my wife to bring me back down to earth.

That said, I have seen people who never recovered from that initial leap in self-importance. They let the power and status go to their heads, and suddenly all their decisions become focused on protecting their position instead of doing good work or doing right. Time and time again, I've found that those who show an early inclination to develop others rarely suffer from this pitfall. As they rise, they pull others up with them.

Awaken New Leaders

Once I've identified someone I think I'd like to sponsor, my work with them begins with a conversation. I sit them down and tell them the number one reason I've chosen them: their ability to see over mountains. This insight seems to surprise them all. Either they didn't see themselves that way or they didn't realize anybody else did. I make sure that they leave the room with the understanding that this trait suggests a tremendous ability to make a much greater difference than most people, inside the organization and out.

I call this initial conversation “the awakening,” and I recommend that you have one like it with anyone you are sponsoring. The goal is to build their confidence and, if necessary, help them take the leap to seeing themselves as leaders. Because professional culture is still strongly affected by gender bias, I have found that women need help shifting their mind-set more often than men. (I take pride in the number of females I have sponsored who are now in executive positions in Fortune 500 companies.) My experience is that women are more likely than men to be concerned about a knowledge gap when offered a new opportunity. Some women are also more hesitant to speak up or speak again when they aren't heard or get shot down.

To further awaken leaders, encourage them to think back to times they have led others through difficult challenges, whether in their professional or in their personal life. As they share these stories, they begin to see themselves and interpret their experiences in a new light. You can see it in their faces and body language. They start to believe that they do have a special ability to see over mountains and lead others to climb them, and it sets them apart from the rest. This positions them to accept and even request challenges and responsibilities that require them to step into new territory.

Occasionally you might sponsor people who are starting with the opposite problem: overconfidence. They overcommit and overpromise. With this group, encourage them to be more thoughtful and measured before making commitments.

Once we've worked on confidence, I give sponsees a task list of three other things they'll need to work on to be successful as change leaders:

1. Defining a higher purpose for their work. With that level of perspective buoying them, they will find the courage to put themselves at risk for the sake of others. They will stand up and offer solutions when others shrink into the corner.
2. Developing a strong personal brand, one that compels people to speak positively about them when they are not in the room and to support them when they are.
3. Finding a theme song that they play that picks them up when they have either fallen or been knocked down.

You probably think I'm joking about the third item. I'm not! I'm very serious. As change leaders, I tell them, there will be times in which your intentions are misunderstood, times in which you will be blamed for things you didn't do, times in which you won't get credit for things you did do, times in which people will let you down, and times in which you'll find you've made an honest but mortifying mistake. During those lows, you need some way of picking yourself up.

I have two theme songs: “Back in Stride Again” by the R&B group Frankie Beverly and Maze, and “Back in Black” by the hard rock group AC/DC.

Develop Their Personal Brand

Developing a strong personal brand requires some perspective, which you can provide. In fact, without the perspective of a trustworthy second party, it's pretty much impossible. Your help starts informally, by helping them reconceive their past experiences—both highs and lows—as leadership assets, stories that they can use to let people know who they are, what they value, and who they value. With these stories in their pocket, they'll never give speeches; instead, they'll share experiences that translate into purpose and forward momentum for the people listening.

Formal training really helps jump their presentation to the next level. Every person I sponsor spends time with a professional communications coach. The coach makes sure that their authenticity is evident when they are talking to others. The coach films them talking and provides candid, direct feedback.

As a next step in developing their brand, find out how they are perceived by others. Typically this is done by engaging a formal 360-degree review or other outside assessment. However, I recommend a simpler approach that I've found is much more effective: Set meetings between you and the most influential or senior people they've worked with to ask how they've been perceived so far.

These meetings serve three purposes. First, you'll get valuable information about qualities that the person needs to improve upon. Second, you're building their reputation already by letting others know that you've taken a professional interest in their success. And third, it allows you to form closer relationships with the individuals whose opinions you're seeking.

Once you've taken those meetings, you can work with the person to develop a plan to change how they are perceived. Sometimes that means working on changing behaviors or developing new skills or habits. For example, in my own case, a sponsor once told me that the way I sat made it seem like I wasn't listening or taking seriously whomever I was speaking to. I was surprised by the feedback, and not sure whether I believed it was a problem until I saw a video of myself. Then I immediately knew he was right: I was leaning back in my chair, arms crossed, with my legs sprawled out in front of me. You might have thought that I was heading into a nap, but meanwhile I was conducting business! I realized that this was a habit I had developed years back when I had my knee surgery, when keeping my legs straight kept the pain level manageable. As soon as I saw myself through my sponsor's eyes, I developed the habit of sitting up and leaning forward when listening to others, and immediately sensed a positive response.

Other times, improving your sponsees' brand might require you to step in and influence the way they are perceived by others. Find opportunities to call out their overlooked qualities to other senior leaders. For example, earlier I mentioned the soft-spoken woman in accounting who went on to become a VP in my group. Because she was so soft-spoken, people assumed she had nothing to contribute and tended to ignore her when she did speak. I started telling people that she, unlike most people, never spoke just for the sake of being heard. And when she did say something, you'd better listen closely because you could be sure it would be spot-on.

There's one more step to helping sponsees improve their personal brand: Help them protect themselves from their blind spots. Blind spots are different from developmental needs. The latter can be addressed through training, both formal and informal. Blind spots, on the other hand, are resistant to training because by definition the leader isn't aware of them until the moment that something or someone else brings them to his or her attention.

The way I coach people to deal with blind spots is first to let them know any I've noticed myself. Then I suggest that they select three people they trust and ask them to keep a lookout for those behaviors, and any other blind spots they see. Such trusted advisors are essential to leaders, especially as they move up the ladder. You need people who “speak truth to power”—telling you when you're about to shoot yourself in the foot—and the easiest way to make sure you have them is to deputize them in advance.

Put Them in the Hot Seat

A good sponsor provides opportunities for exposure to and interaction with executive management. Whenever possible, let your protégés give the updates to higher-ups, instead of you doing all of the talking. Defer decisions to them, and include them in as many meeting as you can with influentials in the company. In those meetings, help them put their best foot forward by steering their contributions, particularly if they're rambling or struggling to make their point. For example, you might say something like “It may be helpful if you talked about the XX situation as an example,” or “Tell them about the increase in sales we have seen from customer YY.”

Including them in meetings isn't enough. You also need to give them real opportunities to develop their change leadership capabilities. The fastest, most effective way to do that is trial by fire: putting them in positions of responsibility even when they don't have the functional expertise—but making clear that you're there to support them and won't let them fail.

People may question your actions, and urge you to go with more seasoned functional experts. To get support for an unorthodox choice, acknowledge the holes but then pivot the conversation toward what makes you believe they are capable of the job. For example, when I put the accountant in charge of global customer care, people didn't know what to think. I pointed out that while in accounting she had developed tremendous respect among the field sales leaders and that she was great at streamlining processes. Since our goal was to improve our support to our field sales force and streamline the customer service process, she was actually a great choice. Honestly, they were still skeptical, but they gave her the benefit of the doubt. Time proved that she was the right person for the job.

Once you put your charges in these stretch roles, you'll find out quickly whether they need to work on yet another vital trait of successful change leaders: asking early and often for advice. If you don't see them doing this, it's time for another conversation. I've personally found that at least 50 percent of the times I have either fallen or been knocked down could have been prevented if I had reached up and gotten the advice of more senior people before I took action. I make sure that those I sponsor head into their new responsibilities with that lesson in mind.

When Sponsorship Fails

My approach to developing emerging leaders is a very hands-on process. It requires significant time and commitment on the part of the change leader. Because it's such a huge undertaking, it's important to make sure you're working with people who are deserving and capable of your investment. Even when you've chosen the people you'll sponsor carefully, you sometimes find along the way they weren't ready or able to shine in the way you'd hoped.

I have a fairly straightforward way of deciding when to end a sponsorship. If I give advice three times in a row and it is ignored, for whatever reason, it is clear that we're on different paths. I tell them directly that our relationship is no longer serving them. They need to find a sponsor who they feel gives advice worth taking.

If things are working well, timely, direct, and honest feedback and advice are some of the most important benefits you offer sponsees. Of course, they won't always agree, which is what you'd expect when dealing with someone who has initiative and ideas. Push them to back up their point of view with considered arguments and maybe you'll even learn something yourself. However, there will be times when sponsees stop listening because they think they have nothing to learn, or because their decision-making process has collapsed to a single question: “What's best for me?”

Sometimes as a sponsee moves up the ladder, increasing self-importance leads to a change in leadership style. For example, I once promoted a young woman and significantly broadened her responsibility by making her the manager of the group. Within a couple of months, I noticed that collaboration and morale were really hurting. People weren't interacting with each other comfortably, and fewer people were visiting my office. I couldn't figure it out, until one day I came back unusually early from lunch. As I turned the corner to my office, I found her sitting in my chair and berating one of her employees. I was shocked. She quickly tried to pass it off as them using my office to have a private conversation. The look on her employee's face told me everything I needed to know. My sponsee had turned into a tyrant, and was using my sponsorship to terrorize the team. She was removed from her position the next day, and the group returned to normal.

Provide Air Cover for Risk Taking

Providing your protégés with air cover is critical. They need to feel safe to lead in new functional areas, and to try new approaches—their earliest experiments with leading change. One of my most memorable moments occurred when a man I was sponsoring was attacked in an e-mail by a senior leader for proactively reaching out to customers to ask how we could serve them better. The recipient (we'll call him Mark) was devastated, and forwarded the e-mail to me asking for my advice. I didn't see anything wrong with Mark's interaction with customers—in fact, I thought it was just what a change leader should do.

I immediately recognized the attack e-mail, which was far from professional in tone, as a power play. The leader was threatened by Mark's expanding role, and had more confidence than he should have because his own sponsor had a lot of influence in the company. I forwarded the e-mail to his sponsor, and noted that it violated every core value of the company.

Immediately after I hit the send key, I got a call from his sponsor, apologizing for the guy's behavior. Soon thereafter, Mark and I both got calls from the e-mail writer, apologizing. From that point on, he was very supportive of Mark because he knew that I had his back.

Another time, a sponsee had successfully completed a proof of concept (POC) that promised to improve customer satisfaction significantly. She came to me with the idea, the POC results, and the business and country sponsor. Now she needed investment to scale the initiative. Because the amount of funding she needed was more than my approval limit, we had to go to the CFO and CEO. They both said yes, with the caveat that my organization couldn't go over budget for the year. “No problem,” I said, knowing full well that we didn't actually have the room in our existing budget—yet. I knew we could find it.

When the finance VP for our group later questioned where the money would come from, I smiled widely at my sponsee's response: “That's something we'll figure out later. Let's focus on making sure that we successfully implement the initiative.” I couldn't have said it better myself. And sure enough, we finished the year within our budget.

In another situation, a leader had an idea for how to reduce significantly the cost of operating our facilities. I was very impressed by how she took on the risk of making it happen. When the vendor she chose proved to be a weak partner, I was so proud of the way she took accountability and, more important, developed an alternative plan. When people tried to be critical of her and the initiative in meetings, I came to her defense. I pointed out that the plan was sound, but the vendor didn't deliver. She was the one who ultimately saved the situation, however, by coming up with a plan B that resulted in cost reductions in the millions of dollars.

Providing air cover gives your sponsees the space they need to lean into new opportunities without fear of damaging their careers. To become capable change leaders, they need, quite simply, to have had the chance to screw up and then fix it, with your help if they need it. On the other side of the coin, when they succeed, you should be the first to make sure everyone in the organization knows it. I had a sponsee who developed an innovation center that was funded by the suppliers whose products it showcased. Everything about the initiative won my admiration: the unique funding source, the diverse team of mavericks he put together to develop it, and the way he stood firm when people questioned why was it being built and whether it was outside the scope of his responsibility. When it turned out to be a huge success, people tried to give me the credit for building it. I made it very clear that it was his idea and his victory.

You don't need any credit. Sponsoring others is its own reward. And in the long-term, you'll find that being generous with your expertise and sharing the spotlight will serve your career much, much more than being known for solving all the big problems yourself.

Coaching Moments

Use the following checklist to identify and develop emerging talent. Each question should be graded on a scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being the best. You and your sponsee should work together toward the highest ratings across the board.