Shows how sponsorship of women of color at work can be transformational, both personally and for organizations looking to increase diversity and representation.
After 17 years in business, Jhaymee Tynan decided it was time to take action and focus her efforts to lift up the next generation of leadership. Inclusive Sponsorship is one of several first steps to provide women of color with powerful stories about women who look just like them and the allies that have been instrumental in sponsoring their careers. This book takes a deep dive into the essence of career sponsorship and how sponsorship has directly moved the needle to increase diversity in senior and C-suite leadership. Inspiring professionals who are looking to better comprehend sponsorship and how to leverage sponsorship to achieve career aspirations, Inclusive Sponsorship is also a battle cry to organizations to implement system resource groups (SRGs), mentoring programs, and initiatives stating that diversity and inclusion is a corporate value. This is a wake-up call for corporations to embrace sponsorship as part of its culture and hold executives accountable for moving women of color into leadership roles.
Tynan explores her personal journey to the executive ranks by sharing an emotional account of navigating the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder. Most importantly, she credits sponsorship as the key to giving her the access and visibility within her organization to get promoted and to live out her career goals. This experience, coupled with her interest and passion to advocate for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) women, were the impetus for launching a global career initiative to sponsor 100 women of color by 2030. For any person or organization looking for ways to elevate BIPOC women into leadership roles, this book offers a guide to success.
Jhaymee Tynan is an award-winning leadership consultant, executive talent advisor, and self-proclaimed kindness champion with a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion to drive impactful business results. She was a healthcare strategy executive before pivoting her career to focus on solving challenging people problems in the workplace. Jhaymee was born and raised in Virginia and spent a large portion of her life as a military brat, which ignited her passion for inclusion and learning about different cultures. She is coffee obsessed and lives in Leesburg, VA.
Preface
Acknowledgements
1 You Need to Calm Down
2 A Reckoning Is Here
3 It’s Not a Pipeline Issue
4 Sponsorship Looks Different for Women of Color
5 Power Dynamics in Sponsorship
6 The Sponsorship Manifesto
7 The Five C’s of a Great Career Sponsor
8 Sponsor Readiness for Women of Color
9 Creating an Inclusive Sponsorship Culture
10 Advancing Ten Thousand Women of Color by 2030
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Tynan distinguishes sponsorship as advocating for a protégé rather than advising, as one would for a mentee. Readers can use this book as a blueprint on how to become an effective sponsor as well as how to drive diversity in leadership. Tynan includes personal accounts from her career in health care, case studies, and interviews. She covers the "Five C’s" of sponsorship: candidness, courage, commitment, connection, and capital. Other chapters focus on sponsor readiness and creating an inclusive sponsorship culture. Tynan offers a lot of guidance for sponsors, such as joining professional organizations, attending conferences, and networking strategically. Though the book focuses on the advancement of women of color, all will find great career advice.
Inclusive Sponsorship offers a bold solution and actionable practices for leaders to move the needle on their intentions rather than squander talent. Jhaymee Tynan's personal experience as a high-performing black woman in the workplace is moving and unforgettable. Her book is a must-read for every leader who wants to understand the lived experience of Black, Indigenous and Women of Color (BIWOC) and benefit from the know-how, emotional intelligence, and natural Change Agent abilities they possess. This book is also a must-read for women of color to affirm to know they are not alone, and to learn the best approaches to secure effective sponsorship. Inclusive Sponsorship should be a required part of leadership training curricula.
8/11/12, Choice: This title was featured in a roundup of forthcoming titles in business.
Link: https://www.choice360.org/choice-pick/forthcoming-titles-in-business-2022/
11/26/22, Busy Continent: Jhaymee Tynan wrote about the value of sponsorship in the workplace.
Link: https://busycontinent.com/sponsorship-is-the-key/
11/19/22, Publishers Weekly: This book was featured in a roundup of diverse reads.
Link: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/90976-new-and-forthcoming-titles-for-a-diverse-market.html
1/11/23, Get Down to Business Podcast: Jhaymee Tynan joined Shalom Klein to discuss the book.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSeqm1sshA&t=74s
1/21/23, Everyday MBA podcast: Jhaymee Tynan discussed the book with host Kevin Craine.
Link: https://sites.libsyn.com/63281/advancing-women-of-color-in-the-workplace
1/30/23, CEOWORLD magazine: Jhaymee Tynan wrote an article featuring themes from her book.
Link: https://ceoworld.biz/2023/01/30/its-not-a-pipeline-issue/
2/7/23, Your Working Life podcast: Caroline Dowd-Higgins interviewed Jhaymee Tynan about the book.
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusive-sponsorship-with-jhaymee-tynan/id1383858318?i=1000598444378
3/2/23, Leadership Excellence / HR.com: Jhaymee Tynan wrote an article featuring themes from the book.
Link: https://www.hr.com/en/magazines/leadership_excellence_essentials/march_2023_leadership_excellence/inclusivity-in-the-workplace-for-women-of-color_ler3ydk2.html
5/2/23, Bloomberg Black Business Beat podcast: Jhaymee Tynan discusses key themes from the book.
Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2023-05-02/supporting-women-of-color-through-sponsorship-audio