Who’s in your corner? Do you know that no leader can lead effectively on their own?  If you’re looking to expand your scope of influence, you must build a strong network of champions who trust you and can get behind your ideas and vision. It takes a village, or more specifically a group of supporters who can walk alongside you to help you to soar to the heights that will help you impact your people.

Individuals in your Success Squad are those who inspire, challenge, and motivate you in your career and leadership. They are the ones who cheer you on to make bold, fearless moves. Your team can remind you of your Why and encourage you when the going gets hard, as it surely will. In your squad will be those who have walked a similar path but are ahead of you, so they can share their experiences and wisdom with you so you can avoid their pitfalls.  Your squad can open doors of opportunity to you and advocate for you in roles or positions you may have never seen yourself in. In short, your Success Squad helps you make a greater impact than you can make on your own.

Mentors and sponsors are critical members of our Success Squad. Mentors are like our big sisters. They share their experiences, lessons learned, and wisdom with us to help us navigate our journey. They are our guides, who can help us imagine a vision for ourselves that otherwise might seem unattainable. As the saying goes, it’s hard to be what we don’t see.

Sponsors go a bit further than mentors because they leverage their network and influence to propel you forward in ways you cannot on your own. Sponsors have a seat at the proverbial table and can throw your name in the ring for coveted assignments.  They can also spot strengths in you that you aren't aware of and groom you for future opportunities.

Because of their advocacy, sponsors are crucial in helping you get to your next level of leadership.

A sponsor is arguably the most important person in your squad. It’s important for you to be open to discovering who that person is for you. This is true whether you are employed in a company, organization, institution, or own your own business. We need the influence of those door openers, opportunity providers, championers, and connectors.

Allies are our colleagues and peers who support and encourage us and for who we do the same. Allies listen to our challenges and provide advice or just make us know we’re not alone. Allies are the backbone of your Success Squad. They celebrate your wins with you and they are there when the going gets tough.

As you meet new people and build professional connections, consider who can help support your career goals as a mentor, sponsor or, ally.

I love this quote from Jo Saxton’s book, Ready to Rise, which sums up this conversation nicely:

“Cultivate a network of trusted mentors and colleagues. Other people can give us the best insight into ourselves—and our own limitations. We must have the courage to ask for help and to request feedback to expand our vision of what’s possible.” Maria Castañón Moats