Being a mother, besides being one of the greatest joys of the life of practically all women, is also an extremely challenging journey. In this journey, I was very excited, I experienced some ups and downs, but above all, I accumulated several learnings, and, in fact, today I clearly realize that, by reconciling more roles, I obtained, as a result, a leap for my professional evolution. This is because the experience of motherhood itself has a huge value for organizations, and for us women.
When reflecting on motherhood and work, I notice that many of the skills I developed raising children add too much to increase our leadership skills. To begin with, after motherhood it is customary to climb many steps in efficiency. After all, which mother is not multitasking? The fact that accumulating roles, by itself, already makes us more efficient, does not it?.
I share, below, five of my perceptions about leadership and motherhood, which add to the executive life:
- We need clarity on the objectives set. Children know what we expect in terms of behavior and attitudes, as well as begin, little by little, to be aware of the consequences of their actions. At work, it is no different. Thus, it is very important that the leader aligns with the team about goals and expectations, so that everyone can play their roles in the best way.
- Set the example. As a mother, I know that my daily actions inspire children. The same applies at work. The Oxford dictionary defines, incidentally, the leader as “person whose actions and words influence the thinking and behavior of others.” That is, our attitudes, the tone of voice we use when speaking, our ethics, our listening, the way we treat people, this whole set of characteristics influence our team. Remember: just as a child observes and imitates parents, employees follow the examples of leadership. Want to inspire!
- Encourage a positive environment. One of the main roles of a mother is to validate her children. This approval conveys a huge psychological and emotional confidence to the child, which enables her to develop her own skills. Likewise, our work team also needs this confirmation. When employees realize that we want the best for them and that we will do our best to help them succeed, we win their loyalty and commitment. In addition, we create a positive atmosphere, which is very important, since in the environments free of toxicity, there is less stress, diseases and absenteeism. And thus, people become more engaged by realizing that their efforts are properly recognized.“TV3, according to a study conducted by Harvard 10 employees happy111 employees 1.
- Understand each employee in their uniqueness. The good leader must practice active listening, with attention to the particularities of each person. From a very early age, we are impelled to discover what motivates our children (and we realize that each child reacts to these stimuli differently). The same happens with team leadership. When we identify what drives each employee, we help them stay connected to their own joy and purpose, as in a virtuous cycle. And highly motivated teams are a powerful force!
- Embrace the unknown. Motherhood taught me to embrace the learning journey with energy and motivation, being prepared to deal with various situations, often that arise suddenly. Everything to do with motherhood, after all, our children change habits and patterns (such as sleep, food) at an impressive speed. As a manager, in the same way, it is important to be willing to welcome adversities and challenges, with the temperance necessary to accept circumstances and face, every day, something that is still unknown. As a result, this attitude clearly shows us that every day represents opportunities to grow and learn.
