Why Employees with Disabilities Leave for Leadership Roles: The Sponsorship Gap

Ashley Sims
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Disability @ 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. But today we’re gonna 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. Our executive director Keith Meadows posted about this on LinkedIn, and it really resonated with so many of you. So let's talk about it. 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. Four times. Let that sink in. 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. 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. As a highly ambitious AuDHD 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. 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. We're seeing limited internal mobility, less visibility to decision makers, and fewer real opportunities to step into leadership roles. So if it feels like your top talent is walking out the door, it's because they are. What's behind this? A major driver is the mentorship versus sponsorship gap, 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. It's talking to someone. But what actually drives advancements is sponsorship. It's the visibility, the advocacy, the access. It's talking about someone in the rooms where decisions get made. 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. 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. 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. A lot of disabled employees are visible, but in a very specific way. They're highlighted in inclusion campaigns, invited to ERGs. We’re seen as part of the diversity story. 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. And for high performers, that's not something you wait around to fix. That's when you leave. So let's talk about the cost, because we see this again and again. That fear of how much is this gonna 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. And most average around $500 or less. Meanwhile, replacing a senior leader can cost 200 to 400% of their salary. So the real cost isn't accommodation. It's attrition. It's losing leaders you already developed and paying to replace them. So here's the shift. We need to move from supporting talent to accelerating it. 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. So people stay, they perform, they wait. And when nothing moves, they leave. Because the only way up is out. 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. Why wouldn't you want to promote from within? Or assigning high visibility,  career-defining work. Or actively interrupting bias in promotion decisions. Or expanding access to networks and decision makers. 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? 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. And that's the difference. If your strategy stops at support, if it doesn't include a clear sponsored path to leadership, your best people will leave. 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. And if you want to learn more, visit us at disabilitytalent.org. I'll see you next time.