The Most Overlooked Factor in Change Success: The Sponsor Role

When organizations launch a major change—new systems, restructures, strategic shifts—the planning is often intense. Project timelines, budgets, communication plans, training materials… everything gets attention.

Everything, that is, except the one factor research repeatedly shows matters most:

The active, visible, and aligned Sponsor.

For decades, data has been unequivocal:
Change succeeds or fails largely based on how leaders show up.

And yet, many leaders don’t fully understand the Sponsor role, assume it’s symbolic, or unintentionally delegate it to a project team or change manager.

What Exactly Is the Sponsor Role?

In the Managed Change™ methodology, the Sponsor is the leader who:

• Authorizes the change

• Allocates resources

• Sets expectations

• Models commitment

• Communicates the “why”

• Removes barriers

• Holds others accountable

This isn’t a ceremonial title.
It’s the role that creates the conditions for people to choose to change.

Why Is Sponsorship So Often Overlooked?

Because many organizations assume change is “technical”:
a system to install, a structure to update, a process to redesign.

But change is human, and people look to leaders for cues long before they look to project plans.

When leaders hesitate, stay silent, or appear unaligned, people fill the gaps with doubt.

When leaders show up consistently and visibly, people step forward.

The Sponsor Role Is a Skill — Not a Personality Trait

Strong Sponsors aren’t born; they’re developed.

They learn how to:

• Communicate the business case in a way people can connect to

• Demonstrate personal commitment

• Reinforce new behaviors

• Anticipate resistance

• Support change practitioners and project teams

• Create alignment across functions

• Make timely, visible decisions

This is why we built the Leaders as Sponsors of Change program—an executive-level session launching in Q3 2026 that gives leaders the tools, clarity, and confidence to lead change successfully.

If You Want Your 2026 Changes to Stick… Start With Sponsorship

Organizations invest heavily in technology, processes, and transformation strategy—but the fastest path to successful adoption is ensuring leaders understand their role and step into it with intention.

If you want updates on the Q3 2026 launch reach out to us: https://www.lamarsh.com/contactus