Closing the Sponsorship Gap: Reimagining Advocacy as a Leadership Skill
Despite two decades of progress, gender-balanced leadership remains elusive. One key reason? Sponsorship — or rather, the lack of it. Women have continued to be under-sponsored compared to their peers, especially at the intersection of race, identity, and power.
On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, leadership advisor Helen Tubb — whose INSTEAD-awarded research explored the mechanics of effective sponsorship— joined Navneet Hrishikesan, Senior Director and Associate General Counsel at Cisco. He shared personal insight into the impact of sponsorship on both the careers of underrepresented talent and his own growth as a leader. Together, they engaged in a candid conversation about what meaningful sponsorship looks like in practice.