A pioneering professor of organizational behavior turns the concept of networking on its head, arguing that we must move beyond the standard mentorship model to embrace sponsorship, where we use our social networks and political capital on behalf of others.

“It’s not what you know, but who you know.” According to conventional wisdom, our social networks are a resource to exploit, and getting ahead means extracting value from our social connections. But according to Dr. Rosalind Chow, Professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon’s business school, not only is this an antiquated notion, it’s also useless in today’s society and workplaces. And it certainly doesn’t account for the fact that not everyone starts on equal footing in the workplace. Based on decades of original research analyzing social hierarchies, corporate environments, and gender and race relations, Beyond Mentorship makes a bold case for completely changing the way we network.

To increase the number of women and BIPOC employees in our organizations, particularly in senior roles, we need sponsorship, not mentorship. Sponsorship involves managing others’ impressions or beliefs about a protégé or colleague. Our social networks can and should be used on behalf of others. And it helps us too. What if we tried to position ourselves so that we could be the first to share new information, to elevate others to be more visible to decision makers, and to connect people to the help that they need? Suddenly, networking would become much more than just ladder climbing.

At a moment the workplace is going through a seismic transformation, this book is a potent reminder that we can all build more equitable connections effectively, meaningfully, and joyously. And this book will empower listeners to be smarter about cultivating authentic, supportive, diverse relationships and communities.