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Why Employees with Disabilities Leave for Leadership Roles: The Sponsorship Gap
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Why are top employees with disabilities leaving organizations to grow their careers?
In this episode of Disability @ Work, host Ashley Sims explores a critical workforce trend: professionals with disabilities are 4x more likely to reach senior roles by switching companies than through internal promotions.
The problem isn’t a lack of talent—it’s a lack of opportunity.
Ashley breaks down the mentorship vs. sponsorship gap, how workplace bias limits advancement, and why organizations are unintentionally becoming “training grounds” for competitors. She also highlights the real cost of inaction: replacing high-performing talent is far more expensive than investing in accessibility and advancement.
If you’re a recruiter, HR leader, or executive looking to retain and develop inclusive leadership pipelines, this episode offers practical insights you can act on now.
Show Notes
In this episode, we cover:
- Why employees with disabilities leave companies to advance their careers
- The growing gap between inclusion and leadership opportunity
- How sponsorship vs. mentorship drives promotions
- What organizations should do to support high-potential employees
About the Show: Disability@Work is a Disability Solutions podcast. Hosted by Marketing & Communications Director, Ashley Sims, each episode offers practical insight for employers, HR and talent leaders, and advocates working to build more inclusive organizations. Learn more at DisabilityTalent.org.
Sources:
- JAN, Cost and Benefits of Accommodations, 2025
- SHRM, The Myth of Replaceability: Preparing for the Loss of Key Employees, 2025
- NFP, Inaugural Executive Benefits Trends Study, 2023
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Transcript
Introduction and Recap
00:00:07
Speaker
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Disability at Work, the podcast where we explore what it really takes to build inclusive workplaces. I'm your host, Ashley Sims. In our last episode, we talked about job hugging, why employees are staying in roles they maybe don't love, and what that tells us about culture, safety, and opportunity.
Why Employees Leave for Growth Opportunities?
00:00:30
Speaker
But today we're going to talk about the other side of that coin. Because while some employees are staying put, others are doing the exact opposite. They're leaving. And not just leaving randomly, they're leaving to grow, to lead, and to access opportunities that they're maybe not getting internally.
Impact of Employee Departures on LinkedIn
00:00:50
Speaker
Our executive director, Keith Beddows, posted about this on LinkedIn, and it really resonated with so many of you. So let's talk about it.
Career Mobility for Disabled Professionals
00:00:58
Speaker
According to Disability In and LinkedIn 2025 Mobility Report, professionals with disabilities are now four times more likely to land a senior role by switching companies than by being promoted internally.
00:01:12
Speaker
Four times. Let that sink in.
Personal Struggles with ADHD and Promotions
00:01:16
Speaker
And when you listen to how people are reacting to this data, one message comes through loud and clear. People aren't leaving because they want to.
00:01:25
Speaker
They're leaving because they have to. Because inside too many organizations, the ceiling just doesn't move. And believe me, I speak from experience here. I've been there.
00:01:37
Speaker
As a highly ambitious ADHD individual, i had to work twice as hard just to get the opportunities others took for granted. I have jumped ship more than once. Not because I wanted to, but because i kept getting passed over for promotions.
00:01:52
Speaker
The reasons? I was too quiet or didn't have the right personality for leadership or simply i didn't want to play the corporate games. That's the reality for so many of us.
Barriers to Internal Mobility for Disabled Employees
00:02:02
Speaker
We're seeing limited internal mobility, less visibility to decision makers, and fewer real opportunities to step into leadership roles.
00:02:12
Speaker
So if it feels like your top talent is walking out the door, it's because they are. What's behind this?
Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: Why Advocacy Matters
00:02:19
Speaker
A major driver is the mentorship versus sponsorship gap.
00:02:23
Speaker
Because most organizations think they're doing the right thing. They're offering mentorship. Advice, feedback, coaching, career conversations. And that does matter. But mentorship is passive.
00:02:38
Speaker
It's talking to someone. But what actually drives advancement is sponsorship. It's the visibility, the advance advocacy, the access. It's talking about someone in the rooms where decisions get made.
Challenges in Promotion Despite Mentorship
00:02:52
Speaker
And I seriously feel this. I have had some great managers who put in the extra time to mentor me, but my name didn't come up in meetings when it came time for promotions.
00:03:04
Speaker
And we're hearing this again and again. High performing disabled employees are doing everything right, but they're still not being put forward for promotions, considered for stretch roles or included in succession planning.
Visibility of Disabled Employees in Leadership
00:03:19
Speaker
Not because they're not ready, but because no one is actively putting their names on the table. So let's talk about what this actually feels like. Because this is where things start to break down.
00:03:31
Speaker
A lot of disabled employees are visible, but in a very specific way. They're highlighted in inclusion campaigns, invited to ERGs, or seen as part of the diversity story.
00:03:45
Speaker
But not always seen as future executives or strategic leaders or people with real decision-making power. And over time, that gap becomes clear. You acknowledge my identity, but you don't trust my leadership.
00:03:59
Speaker
And for high performers, that's not something you wait around to fix.
Cost Misconceptions in Advancing Disabled Talent
00:04:04
Speaker
That's when you leave. So let's talk about the cost, because we see this again and again, ah fear of how much is this going to cost me? The idea that advancing disabled talent is expensive or complicated, but the numbers don't support that. 56% of accommodations cost absolutely nothing.
00:04:25
Speaker
And most average around $500 or less. Meanwhile, replacing a senior leader can cost 200 to 400% of their salary.
00:04:35
Speaker
So the real cost isn't accommodation. It's attrition. It's losing leaders you already developed and paying to replace them.
From Support to Leadership Acceleration
00:04:43
Speaker
So here's the shift. We need to move from supporting talent to accelerating it.
00:04:49
Speaker
Because right now, too many organizations are acting like training grounds. They hire incredible talent, develop them just enough, but don't create real pathways to leadership.
00:05:02
Speaker
So people stay, they perform, they wait. And when nothing moves, they leave because the only way up is out.
Effective Sponsorship and Promotion Strategies
00:05:10
Speaker
So what does doing this right actually look like? Sponsorship in action looks like a leader saying this person is ready. Give them the opportunity. Or including disabled talent in succession planning conversations.
00:05:25
Speaker
Why wouldn't you want to promote from within? Or assigning high visibility career-defining work. Or actively interrupting bias in promotion decisions.
Benefits of Disability Inclusion as Leadership Strategy
00:05:35
Speaker
or expanding access to networks and decision makers.
00:05:39
Speaker
Because access is the difference, and sponsorship is how you create it I want to leave you with this today. If your best employees have to leave to become leaders, what does that say about your system?
00:05:53
Speaker
Because the organizations that are getting this right, they're not just inclusive, they're intentional. They're the ones that treat disability inclusion as a leadership strategy, not a side initiative.
00:06:07
Speaker
And that's the difference. If your strategy stops at support, if it doesn't include a clear sponsored path to leadership, then Your best people will leave.
Call to Action and Further Resources
00:06:18
Speaker
Thanks so much for joining me today. If this episode got you thinking, share it with a colleague or leader in your organization, especially someone who influences hiring, promotion, or talent strategy.
00:06:31
Speaker
And if you want to learn more, visit us at disabilitytalent.org. I'll see you next time.