Five tips on how to be a great project sponsor

Strong project sponsorship is not just a “nice to have”, it is a strategic enabler. Without active, visible, and engaged sponsors, transformation and change efforts stall, disconnect from strategy, and often underdeliver. Yet many project sponsors are left to figure it out on their own.

They are appointed to oversee critical initiatives without a clear roadmap, structured support, or shared understanding of what good sponsorship actually looks like. This leaves them vulnerable to being either too hands-on or too absent, both of which compromise delivery.

In at the deep end

As a transformation expert with over 25 years of experience delivering large-scale, high-impact projects in regulated industries, I have seen firsthand the difference effective project sponsorship can make. I have partnered with project sponsors who inspire teams, champion change, and deliver results, often under immense pressure.

But I have also witnessed capable executives thrown into the project sponsor role with little preparation. They are expected to drive outcomes, resolve issues, maintain alignment, and ensure benefits realisation, all while juggling competing business responsibilities.

Unlike project managers, who are trained and supported, project sponsors are often left to figure things out on their own. This lack of structure gives rise to four recurring realities:

The Capability Gap. Project sponsors are handed the title but not the tools. Many are unclear on what the role truly involves or how to perform it effectively.
The Invisible Barriers. Hidden gaps in expectations, communication, or role clarity often go unrecognised, leaving project sponsors unaware of what they do not know.
The Reactive Trap. Without a clear playbook, project sponsors respond to problems after the fact rather than shaping the project proactively.
The Capacity Crunch. Project sponsorship is layered on top of existing responsibilities, making it difficult to engage deeply or consistently.

These challenges make it hard for even the most capable leaders to deliver project sponsorship that adds real value, and that is where a practical, structured approach becomes essential. Effective project sponsors focus not on doing more, but on doing what matters most.

Effective sponsorship is not about being across every detail, it is about staying strategically focused and asking the right questions consistently. Here are five practical tips to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and impact at every stage of change:
Align everyone behind a clear case for change. Start by ensuring there is a compelling vision and business case that is clearly understood by all key stakeholders. If people, especially those most affected, do not understand or support the ‘why’, you can expect resistance and confusion. Strategic alignment begins with shared clarity.
Set the project up for success from the start. A strong start is the sponsor’s greatest leverage point. Make sure the initiative has the right setup: a well-designed solution, appropriate decision-making authority, and adequate resourcing across all impacted areas. Do not assume others have handled this, your project sponsorship makes the difference early.
Keep the change under control. Maintain control by ensuring that progress is realistic and visible. Track milestones regularly, monitor key risks, and empower the team to raise issues early. Sponsors who stay close to these signals avoid surprises and foster a culture of transparency and problem-solving.
Be the leader your team needs. Beyond governance, your presence matters. Use your influence to encourage, remove blockers, and build trust in the change. High-performing teams respond to visible, supportive sponsors. Even small actions, such as attending a key meeting, reinforcing a message, can have disproportionate impact.
Drive through to benefit realisation. Too often sponsorship drops off after go-live, but real success is measured in outcomes, not outputs. Stay engaged through to benefits realisation: ensure the organisation is ready to take on and sustain the change, the support structures are in place, and that benefits are defined, tracked post project completion, and delivered as agreed in the original business case.

These five tips anchor your sponsorship where it counts, on alignment, execution, engagement, and value. Whether you are new to the role of project sponsor or looking to sharpen your effectiveness as a sponsor, use them to stay focused on what matters most. These questions do more than structure your thinking, they keep project sponsorship focused on what matters most. They help project sponsors lead intentionally, make better decisions, and maintain alignment across strategy, delivery, and value realisation.