Why it matters
Without visible, active support from senior leaders, even the most skilled and motivated improvement teams will struggle to deliver lasting impact. Leadership sponsorship isn’t just about saying the right things—it’s about:
- Championing CI initiatives publicly and consistently
- Helping connect CI efforts to business priorities
- Allocating resources and creating space for improvement work to succeed
True sponsorship means leaders become advocates, not just approvers.
What good looks like
In a mature CI environment, you’ll see more than one-off involvement. You’ll see CI principles embedded into leadership behaviour and business planning. That might include:
- CI objectives included in personal performance goals at all levels
- Business KPIs linked to improvement outcomes
- Regular engagement between leaders and improvement teams
- Leaders calling for support proactively—not just reactively
When senior leaders understand the value of CI—and can clearly see how your team helps solve their challenges—buy-in becomes much easier to sustain.
The Risk of Missing Sponsorship
Without it, improvement teams risk becoming isolated or reactive. You may struggle to get traction, secure resources, or be involved early enough to influence strategic decisions. Worse still, the team’s future can feel uncertain when leadership changes or priorities shift.
What can you do
Sponsorship isn’t something you secure once—it requires ongoing relationship-building and education.
Get to know your leaders’ priorities. Show how your team delivers value in their language. Help them succeed, and they’ll become your strongest allies.
Up next: Organisational-Wide Engagement – building momentum beyond the improvement team.
Ready to see how your improvement team stacks up?
Want to discuss a Team Maturity Assessment and start benchmarking your team against best-in-class practices? Get in touch today.
